Farsighted kids suffer lower literacy rates.

• Position: Vision - Brief article

Children with uncorrected farsightedness lose ground on reading skills before they ever start first grade, a study in Ophthalmology has found. The research, led by optometrist Marjean Kulp, uncovers evidence that moderately farsighted preschoolers and kindergarten students perform worse in early literacy than children with normal vision--and the difference may be enough to put them at risk for later reading problems, based on previous studies.

An estimated four percent to 14% of preschool children have moderate farsightedness, or hyperopia (in which distant objects are seen clearly, but those nearby are blurry). 'There is a lot of controversy in terms of what to do with these kids," notes Kulp, explaining that some argue against prescribing glasses because they believe kids have enough ability to overcome the farsightedness. "However, some doctors think it may be better to prescribe glasses because It could help improve vision or educational skills."

It is too early to recommend that all farsighted children get glasses, says Kulp, but she hopes this research, the first...