Morton Grove optometrist points to patch-wearing ‘Elio' in the Disney/Pixar movie to focus on kids' eye health

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

The new Disney/Pixar film 'Elio'— where the youthful title character dons a bright blue eyepatch — has presented a ripe opportunity for a Morton Groove optometry professor and blindness prevention advocate to call attention to children's eye health.
In the animated film, which debuted in theaters June 20 and took third place at the box office with its $21 million opening, Elio is a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. But he also wears a protective patch after being accidentally poked in the eye.
Morton Grove resident Sandra Block, doctor of optometry, said she appreciates the fact that the film calls attention to eye challenges that children could face.
'The good thing is it's highlighting that vision is important in daily life,' Block told Pioneer Press. 'People don't think of vision as a problem. This might bring it to the forefront.'
And for kids who may need an eyepatch but refuse to wear it, seeing this fun movie character could help take away the stigma.
Block, who is professor emeritus at the Illinois College of Optometry, president of the World Council of Optometry and emeritus member of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors, shared her knowledge of eye issues that children can face.
Among them, Block reported that between 2% and 4% of children are diagnosed with amblyopia, more commonly known as lazy eye.
'Many types of amblyopia are not very visible,' Block said.
She said the ones that are obvious can be recognized either when the child is in preschool or by the parent when their child is between 3 and 5 years old, although a large number of them are identified between the ages of birth and 12 months.
Block said some kids with amblyopia are frequently told to wear an eyepatch. They wear it over the healthier eye in an attempt 'to get the 'lazy' eye to start to use vision more — forcing it to be used when it hasn't been used for some time,' Block said.
The doctor noted that some children refuse to wear the eyepatch.
But families can draw inspiration from Elio, who is mistakenly identified as Earth's leader and finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms — wearing a blue eyepatch.
Other issues of concern regarding children's eye health include nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Block said that a lot of research is being done on these issues and some conclusions have been reached.
'We need to identify it early,' Block said. 'We need to get kids outside because the more time they spend outside the better it is. We need to educate the families and the pediatricians to know who's at risk. And try to keep the screen time down.'
Perhaps Elio can be an inspiration.