Everything You Should Know about Children’s Eye & Vision Problems

The health of your child begins to concern you as early as infancy. Are they breathing alright? Should you do something to improve their feeding habits? Every aspect of their health should matter, even as your child continues to grow. Children’s problems are best handled when young, where most things can be reversed or restored permanently. The stakes are the same when it comes to vision.

Eyes and Vision Care for Children

Your child may not see much during infancy. However, as they grow up, they are exposed to the same environmental factors as other human beings. Besides this, they are still developing in different areas of their bodies, including their eyes. As your baby begins to see, it should not just be a moment of excitement. Learn more about the vision needs of your child. For example, how far can he see? How well aligned are his eyes? Does the color or pigmentation 8n his eyes worry you? The more you can learn about his eyes, the better your chances of offering your child the best eye care.

Why Do You Need an Eye Doctor for Children?

Annual eye exams are not just a recommendation given to adults. Even children should benefit from the random eye checkups by a specialist. Usually, the examination is performed by an ophthalmologist (eye MD), or an optometrist (OD). Vision screening by a pediatrician should not be a substitute for professional eye checkups. The professional eye assessments are useful even at an early stage because of some of the following reasons:

• Visual acuity – it covers the ability of a person to identify letters or numbers from a specified distance, on a visual chart. If your child, for instance, has been writing sloppily, it could be because he has a hard time telling apart letters and numbers at a distance. You will not accurately ascertain this unless an optometrist has a close look at your child’s eyes.
• Eye teaming skills – double vision is a condition that most eye patients experience. It can be a result of the eyes having poor teaming skills. Any cases of strabismus can be caught early so that your child’s eyes can be trained to work together and ensure proper functionality.
• Comfortable focusing skills – your child should be able to focus on objects, near and far, without straining. Unless you are at a Monterey eye doctor, it will be hard for you to identify any straining on your child when trying to focus on objects far and near. The strain can make it hard for some kids to maintain eye contact as well.
• Depth perception – poor depth perception is also a cause for alarm when it comes to vision. It means that your child may have to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses to improve the depth perception that boosts vision overall. This and other refractive errors of the eyes can best be determined following a thorough eye checkup for your kid.
• Infections and diseases – an infection of the eye is very crucial. Give that the eye is an internal organ existing externally, an infection can result from so many things in the surrounding. If you notice your child blinking excessively or running his eyes every other time, it could be a sign of infection. The eye discharge, as well as pigmentation, may also be a highlight of a disease or infection. The best way to narrow down on the issue is to have an optometrist take a good look at your child’s eyes.

When to Have Your Child’s Eyes Examined

Knowing what is at stake in your child’s eyes, you should start booking an appointment with us today for an eye checkup. Knowing when to take your child to an eye doctor is important. For infants, as soon as your child hits 6 months, they should start seeing an eye specialist.

From there, you should have no pressure until age 3 and 6. At those strategic ages, your optometrist should inform you if you need any return visits for follow up treatment or eye assessment. After that, an annual eye checkup will suit you and your child well.