The state of Iowa continues to ignore the fact that vision screenings in school can prevent many current and future problems for our children. Kids need to see to learn.

Considering that nearly

80 percent of what a child learns the first 12 years of life is through vision, good eyesight is an essential part of a child’s education. so, when a vision problem is overlooked, a child goes through life in a blurry fog, with poor grades and potential behavior issues.

It is disheartening to know that Iowa is one of only 10 states that does not require a vision screening or examination to ensure school-aged children are ready to learn.

Iowa spends thousands of dollars annually to educate each child in our school system, but we fail to ensure that they can see.

In addition to wasting state funding, we have disregarded the clear

connection between vision problems and learning disabilities along with behavior issues. Nearly

80 percent of children with learning disabilities and 70 percent of juvenile delinquents have an

undiagnosed vision problem.

The newly elected Iowa Legislature has the opportunity to ensure that every dime we invest in our children’s education is being put to good use by requiring vision screenings at every school during the first and third grades.

This legislation is supported by Prevent Blindness Iowa (PBI) and other organizations who understand the importance of our children being visually prepared to learn. PBI, a voluntary health organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness and the preservation of sight, provides free vision screenings to nearly 20,000 Iowa children annually to detect common eye problems. once a vision problem is detected through a vision screening, these children are sent to an eye doctor for a comprehensive exam to ensure their vision is corrected.

Not only do these screenings assist in learning, but they can also detect a vision problem that can cause permanent sight loss if left untreated. with one in four school-aged children experiencing a vision problem, we can’t afford to let these children slip through the cracks and suffer from vision problems that can have lifelong consequences.

Iowa has fallen behind other states on investing in our children’s vision health. The Iowa Legislature has the power to help ensure each child has the opportunity to excel in school and become successful adults through affordable, regular vision screenings.

Our children’s health and education must continue to be our no. 1 one priority.

Chris Schroeder is president of Prevent Blindness Iowa, preventblindness.org/Iowa/. Comments:

Morning sickness, exhaustion, strange cravings– any expectant woman can tell you these things are par for the course during pregnancy. but what you may not realize as a mother-to-be is that the process of bearing children may also have some pretty strange side effects. from itching bellies to irregular eyesight, find out about some of the lesser-known conditions associated with pregnancy.

1. Itchiness– one of the more annoying symptoms of pregnancy, itchiness is caused by a change in hormones in combination with your stretching skin. It’s not uncommon to feel this unpleasant sensation around your belly and breasts in particular. using skin creams or aloe vera gel can greatly reduce the discomfort of itchy skin. while a little itch here and there is harmless, a sudden feeling of intense, uncontrollable itchiness all over your body may be a signal that something serious is going on. A rare liver condition known as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy can occur when your liver ducts become clogged and bile salts build up on your skin. This condition can be harmful to you and your baby, so if you start experiencing extreme itching, call your doctor right away.

2. Brown spots– Many pregnant women are shocked to wake up one morning and find strange brown spots on different areas of their bodies. This is due to a perfectly normal condition called chloasma, in which hormone changes cause an increased amount of melanin in your skin. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about these spots, but they should start to disappear shortly after your baby’s birth.

3. Clumsiness– This may seem like an obvious side effect of pregnancy; who wouldn’t be a little off-balance with a bulging belly? but as a woman with child, you may actually find yourself dropping objects more frequently due to a looser grasp. Certain hormones cause the joints in your body to relax during pregnancy to prepare you for giving birth. although not much can be done about this symptom, try to be patient; remember, it’s not permanent!

4. changes in eyesight– It’s not unusual for a pregnant woman to find that her contacts or glasses just don’t work as well as they used to. Contact users in particular may find that their corrective lenses are causing them discomfort. It is uncertain as to exactly what causes these changes in eyesight, but experts believe that gaining water weight may actually change the shape of the cornea, creating a slight difference in vision. If you experience this strange symptom, there’s no need to rush to the optometrist: this is another condition that will almost always go away after your baby is born.

5. Stuffy nose– A case of the sniffles during pregnancy doesn’t always mean you’re sick; extra blood flow to the mucous membranes of your body means that your nose is much more susceptible to stuffiness. you can help relieve this symptom, which commonly appears after the first trimester, by taking steamy baths or showers and staying hydrated.

6. Extra hair growth– In many women, part of the natural “glow” of pregnancy is the appearance of thicker, more lustrous hair. but did you know that excess hair can appear in other places as well? Pregnant women may find that they are growing unwanted scruff on their upper lip, chin, or even neck. Some even find stray hairs on their backs and stomachs. but not to worry! Like many other symptoms, excess hair growth is caused by an influx of hormones and will go away after your baby’s birth.

The process of carrying a child can bring many new experiences to the expecting mother, some more strange than others. Most of these unusual symptoms are caused by hormones and go away once your bundle of joy is born, so enjoy the journey and don’t be surprised if you encounter some strange new side effects of your own.

Posted on 02. Feb, 2011 by Allyson Drewry in Health

Vision problems

Your child’s vision is an important factor to consider, poor vision can cause cognitive problem but doesn’t necessarily cause dyslexia. many dyslexics complain that they see shaky and blurry words, but experts agree that this statement doesn’t relate to the real problem, because even when those letters are clearly read by a dyslexic, he still has problem matching sound with the corresponding word. A dyslexic child may suffer vision problems (which can often be treated with exercises or glasses), but dyslexia is mostly caused by phonological processing problem.

Most vision problems symptoms are similar with dyslexia, so you may need expert assistance in determining the correct diagnosis. The child may have dyslexia or visual impairment or both! A child may have an eyesight problem but not dyslexia, if you notice these signs:

• He does not like to be read.

• He enjoys being read, but seems to have no or little interest in reading and writing.

• He keeps on losing the line when reading.

• He has watery or red eyes when reading.

• He complains of moving, double, or blurred print.

• He rubs his eyes, frowns, or squints when reading a book.

• He reads closely.

• He covers one eye when reading.

• He has difficulty distinguishing nearly similar elements in book.

• He is easily distracted.

• He has very short attention span.

• He takes too many breaks when writing.

• He gets tired too quickly when drawing.

• He has difficulty tracing or copying shapes.

• He reverses numbers and letters.

• He has a low self-esteem.

• He complains about headaches.

• He has problems coordinating his eyes and hands.

• He appears awkward or uncomfortable.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology stated that children must undergo a thorough eye examination after their fourth birthday and routine exams every two years. these are some alarming facts:

• one in five students has unobserved vision problems.

• Vision screening tests at school may not detect all types of vision problem.

• A child may have a vision of 20/20 but still have issues coordinating both eyes correctly.

Even if experts are almost certain that the vision problems are not the cause of dyslexia, some dyslexia treatments (Irlen Method and Davis Dyslexia Correction Method, for example) focus on the need to correct poor vision on children.

Problem on playing and dressing

Often dyslexic children have poor fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. A child with dyslexia may have difficulty throwing and catching, while common tasks like tying shoes, threading beads or buttoning a shirt can be infuriating. He may be late in developing a dominant hand as well. some dyslexic children switch between left and right hands when writing, catching a ball, or perform other simple tasks. Others can use one hand for catching balls and the other for writing!

Many children have poor eye-hand coordination and may have a moment of being capable of using both hands equally (ambidextrous). these behaviors are indicators of dyslexia. They do not indicate that dyslexia is a certainty, but if these symptoms persist in school, it could be a problem.

Poor reading skills

Some pre-reading problems can be signs of dyslexia. if your child is struggling with pre-reading skill at first grade, you need to get support and ask for an assessment. you can also try some of the activities listed below to help in improving your child’s pre-reading skill.

• The child is unable to relate sounds with words or the other way around. many young children can say words that sound almost alike. They can give a series of “buh” words, like a bun, ball, balloon and bench and make alliterations. A child with dyslexia does not understand what his problem is. He does not recognize pattern in a string of “buh” words and appreciate the pleasure of composing alliteration.

• The child can’t rhyme words. many children can rhyme easily when they go to school. you can anticipate hearing him compose sentences that end with rhymed words and he’ll be happy to sing his favorite lullabies. A child with dyslexia is different, rhyming is something that is beyond his comprehension.

• The child is not interested in reading and writing. Preschool children love to write some letters and their names everywhere. A dyslexic child won’t do the same thing.

• The child is not able to identify letters. A dyslexic child needs more time to learn letters than other children. When the school starts, he usually can’t remember all letters and can be confused with even simple words.

• The child cannot tell a simple story. each child has a story to tell. They can describe it in a concise manner. A dyslexic child is usually less capable. He finds it difficult to remember sequences of events, telling even a simple story is almost impossible for him.

• The child is not interested in hearing bedtime stories. some children with dyslexia do not listen to stories. They are unable to follow plots, understand word games, and understand the central message.

• The child cannot read and write his own name.