"Latent" means real hyperopia. It's latent because it's hidden. It's hidden
because he compensates for it by accommodating, exerting constant effort to
focus. Compensating is very easy in the young, very hard by age 40-50.

Kids do not usually grow out of hyperopia, except as I mentioned, some
percentage will experience genetic nearsightedness starting around age 9-12.
Generally, the rest get gradually worse.

In kids, the hyperopia measured after cycloplegic drops ("wet" refraction)
stays pretty stable or increases gradually. Between ages 30-60 it's more
likely to increase than decrease.

From an early age, the hyperopia we measure _without_ drops always increases
gradually to match the refraction _with_ cycloplegic drops. That's
consistent with the decrease in accommodation that causes most people to
have near problems at 40.

Most farsighted people have been that way all their lives. Often they didn't
"need" glasses til they started school, or college, etc.

If your son has symptoms, there's no question. A cycloplegic refraction of
+3.25 justifies glasses unless a kid is behaviorally and academically
"normal."

If there's any question of reading difficulty, avoiding near work, headaches
with close work then those are symptoms deserving treatment.

Does he color, read, write, use a computer, gameboy or psp? Does he resist
or avoid any of these?

Again, glasses will not do any harm. The cycloplegic refraction is not
likely to increase just because you get him glasses. If the "dry" refraction
seems to increase, it's just because they get used to exerting less effort.

-MT, OD

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