International Research reports CI associated with dizzy, motion sickness prone kids

This VisionHelp Blog article, written by colleague and friend Dr. Len Press, summarizes a journal paper by the Department of Otorhinolaryngolgy and Ophthalmology at the Robert Debre Hospital in Paris.

http://visionhelp.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/parlez-vous-vision-therapy-part-2/

Regarding Convergence Insufficiency (CI), one conclusion by the author is: “Unfortunately, particularly in children,... convergence insufficiency is not systematically investigated during standard ophthalmologic examinations, and hence vergence anomalies pass undetected.”

What makes this research highly important is because it was published 10 years ago and during the last 10 years even in the United States the child with Convergence Insufficiency (CI) will often be overlooked by ophthalmologists and optometrists alike. Even more interesting is that this research also shows a connection with CI and sensitivity to motion sickness and dizziness.

October and November are two months of the year when the highest incidence of school age symptomatic children with Convergence Insufficiency (CI) will present for an eye examination because they begin to struggle in school.

Parents, teachers (and certainly eye doctors) should be asking children if they see words overlap or experience eye strain, headaches or have trouble concentrating while reading. But in addition they should be if the child is prone to motion sickness and/or headaches while riding in the car.

Once identified, a child with CI should be treated by a doctor who provides office-based optometric vision therapy. The best way to find a doctor who can help is to go to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development at http://www.covd.org and look for a Board Certified Fellow in the Doctor Locator.

One more thing to help identify kids is a simple test that can be administered by anyone. Check out the Sovoto video to see how.

http://sovoto.ning.com/video/redgreen-near-point-of