Taking care of your child’s eye health is very important. Regular checkups will help detect any eye issues that the child may be experiencing. Pediatric eye exams involve an assessment of the child’s vision and eye health.
It is important to realize that young children may not be able to describe the vision problems that they have. This can cause children to behave in certain ways as a reaction to vision issues. A pediatric eye care professional can assess the child’s vision needs.
Importance of Routine Pediatric Eye Exams
Pediatric eye exams help ensure that the child’s eyes are healthy. Regular care will help ensure that the child does not experience vision problems that can affect their safety. Poor vision can also interfere with school performance.
Eye exams will help ensure that the child has the visual skills vital for optimal learning. Eyecare helps enhance visual acuity while also ensuring comfortable and accurate eye teaming skills and eye movement.
When to Have the Eyes Examined
Experts recommend that children have their first eye examination at six months old. The next examination should be at three years, then another before the child starts school at five or six years. School-going children should have eye exams every two years if they do not require vision correction. Children who require glasses or contacts for vision correction will usually need to be examined annually.
Scheduling Your Child’s Appointment
It is important to choose the right time to schedule your child’s eye exams. This is especially important when children are very young. Choosing a time when the child is happy and alert will help ensure that the process goes more smoothly.
The testing procedure will depend on the child’s age and vision condition. When you call to make an appointment, you may receive a case history form that you can fill at home.
Pediatric Eye Exams
Pediatric eye exams will generally include a case history, vision testing, and determining whether vision correction is needed. An eye health evaluation and testing of eye alignment will be carried out. Where necessary, a prescription for eyewear will be given.
For the initial visit, the doctor will consider factors such as the child’s birth weight and any complications during birth. Whether the child was born at full-term and any pregnancy complications will be considered.
Infant Eye Testing
Babies should be able to see well by the time they are six months old. They should have the same depth perception, focusing ability, and color vision as adults. Pediatric eye care will help determine whether the baby’s eyes are developing as they should.
The doctor will carry out different tests to find out if the development is normal. Testing pupil responses helps evaluate whether the pupils open and close properly. There is also testing to ensure that the baby’s eyes can fixate and follow objects.
Eye testing for children of pre-school age will help ensure that children do not experience learning difficulties. Eye examinations help detect vision problems such as amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (misalignment of eyes), convergence insufficiency, and focusing issues.
For more on pediatric eyecare, visit Grin Eye Care at our offices in Leawood, Olathe, or Lawrence, Kansas, or Raymore or Independence, Missouri. You can also call (913) 829-5511 to book an appointment.
