Parents have misperceptions about comprehensive eye exams, reveals a survey from the The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC).

Specifically, while 85% say they are familiar with comprehensive eye exams, 88% say they believe such exams are not necessary until their children are school age, and 48% say they believe the exams could be performed by a pediatrician. Just 27% of parents report taking their children to an optometrist in the past year, and they report waiting to take their children to undergo a comprehensive eye exam until something is “wrong,” such as their children confiding that they can’t see the whiteboard (66%), noting their children squint more than normal (62%) or seeing their children hold materials at a distance (52%).

While regular appointments may not be a parent’s first priority, optometrists can play a critical role in changing that perception. “It’s critically important for [optometrists] to reach out to our colleagues to help improve overall care for children,” says Andrea Thau, O.D. “We hope to increase the number of doctors encouraging parents to obtain comprehensive eye exams for their children.”

Says Matt Oerding, co-founder and CEO of Treehouse Eyes and GMAC board chairman: “Knowing your children’s potential risk of myopia and taking action before it’s too late can benefit their academic and athletic performance, personal growth and overall health.”

The survey was conducted online on behalf of GMAC by Dynata, a data and insight platform, and was comprised of 4,004 responses, collected between Sept. 6 and Sept. 13.

GMAC is a coalition of companies and health care associations that are committed to raising public awareness of childhood myopia. OM