For parents, being proactive with the eye health of their children is important – taking an early interest in the eye health of your child can dramatically improve the chances of catching potentially damaging visual issues and eye diseases before they become life-changing problems.
To encourage parents to bring their young children to an eye doctor, Uptown Eye Care recently participated in the annual PreK Eye Exam Day, the start of Children’s Vision and Learning Month.
PreK Eye Exam Day
Each year Uptown Eye Care participates in PreK Eye Exam Day, the start of Children’s Vision & Learning Month.
During the event on August 1st and 2nd, doctors and staff from Uptown provided no-cost eye exams to 5 year olds who are entering kindergarten in the fall. More than a simple vision screening, the exams offered during the PreK Eye Exam Day involved comprehensive testing of the children’s eyes. By taking the exams beyond simple vision screens, Uptown staff members were able to look for potentially damaging eye diseases and conditions.
Dr. Mary Gregory of Uptown Eye Care enjoyed the event, and was happy that the day resulted in the early discovery of a few conditions among the children screened.
“PreK Day was very fun and successful for us,” Dr. Gregory said. “We were able to conduct comprehensive exams on quite a few young children, and actually discovered a few conditions that should be monitored while the children are in kindergarten. Without the comprehensive eye exams, these conditions may have gone undiagnosed, and potentially cause problems for the children in the future.”
Dr. Gregory also hopes that the buzz generated by the event will prompt parents to take their children for comprehensive eye exams.
Dr. Mary Gregory is Children’s Vision Committee Chair for the Minnesota Optometric Association.
“While we were able to examine a number of children during the event, the ultimate goal is for every child to have an eye examination early in their development,” Dr. Gregory said. “Events like these should hopefully get parents talking about their children’s eye health, and prompt them to have their children examined on a regular basis.”
PreK Eye Exams are Still Available
If you were unable to take advantage of the PreK Eye Exam Day, do not worry. Uptown Eye Care is happy to offer comprehensive eye exams for children of all ages. To schedule an exam for your child, call Uptown Eye Care at 763-271-2020, or fill out our Appointment Request Form.
KSTC-TV 5 Eyewitness News Interview
Watch the original Back-to-School Eye Exams interview with KSTP’s Megan Newquis and Dr. Mary Gregory (Children’s Vision Committee Chair for the Minnesota Optometric Association): http://kstp.com/article/stories/S3115291.shtml
Kare11 News Interview
To see more of Dr. Gregory’s thoughts on the importance of early vision screenings, watch her interview with Kare11 news.
