Almost one in six parents unaware of eye test frequency

New research from the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) as revealed by Blankstone Opticians in back to school week has shown that almost 6 in 10 parents in the UK are unaware that their children need an eye test every two years.

“Many parents in the UK don’t recognise the importance of having their child’s eyes tested from a young age, with almost 6 in 10 (59 per cent) unaware that they need to take their child for an eye test at least every two years,”

said Mark Blankstone, managing director of Liverpool-based Blankstone Opticians.

The survey of 2,000 parents found that a third (33 per cent) wrongly believe that children need to get their eyes tested for the first time when they start school.

“Alarmingly 12 per cent said children only need to get their eyes tested if their parents wear glasses” added Mark.

“It also highlights that over half of British parents don’t realise that squint and lazy eye can be detected during an eye test and almost three quarters (72 per cent) aren’t aware that spectacles can potentially help straighten a squint.”

“I was also surprised that 75 per cent of parents don’t consider making their child wear sunglasses when it’s sunny.”

With 85 per cent of parents admitting to not knowing much about getting their child’s eyes tested, ABDO is stressing the importance of ensuring children get their eyes tested by a registered practitioner.

Mark maintains: “It’s never too soon to get your child’s eyes tested. Children can have an eye test before they learn to read, and the sooner some eye problems are picked up, the easier it is to treat them.”

To book your child’s free eye test, get in touch with Blankstones today