Healthy eyes and vision are so important, especially for children’s development. That’s why it’s so important that they get their eyes checked regularly to detect vision problems or eye diseases and get early treatment.
A child’s vision is usually first screened by a pediatrician, family physician or other qualified professional and referred to an ophthalmologist or optometrist if needed.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recommend the following schedule:
Newborn
A doctor or health professional will check a newborn’s eyes for basic indicators of eye health. An ophthalmologist should do a full exam if the baby was born prematurely, has signs of eye disease or a family history of eye disease.
6 to 12 months
A second screening will usually be done at the child’s 6 or 12 month wellness check.
12 to 36 months
Your child should be checked for healthy eye development between 12 to 36 months.
3 to 5 years
Your child’s vision should be checked as well as their eye alignment between 3 to 5 years. Your child should see an ophthalmologist if the screening shows signs of eye misalignment, lazy eye, astigmatism or any focusing problem.
5 years and older
At age 5, children should be screened for alignment and to determine how well they can identify the form and detail of objects. The most common problem at this age is poor distance vision (nearsightedness) which can be corrected with eyeglasses.
An ophthalmologist should examine a child with misaligned eyes or signs of other eye problems.
Eye problems in children can easily go undetected without the help of a professional, that’s why it’s so important to have their eyes checked regularly. Call us today to schedule an appointment! We offer Saturday and extended office hours for your convenience.