Pediatric Eye Care
At Opthalmology Practice Name, our ophthalmologists understand that vision is an essential part of a child’s healthy development. Refractive errors like nearsightedness, astigmatism and farsightedness as well as common eye problems such as strabismus (eye turns) and amblyopia (lazy eye) can hinder your child’s ability to engage with and learn from the world around them.
We also check for eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and retinal diseases, which can result in vision loss in children.
That’s why we offer a full range of pediatric eye care services at our LOCATION1 ophthalmology practice.
What is included in pediatric eye care?
Pediatric eye care generally includes the following services:
- Comprehensive eye exams
- Eye surgery, microsurgery, and laser surgery for eye problems including eye turns, blocked tear ducts and retinal disease
- Treatment of eye infections or inflammation
- Diagnosis of eye problems caused by diseases such as diabetes or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and other medical and neurological diseases
- Eye emergencies and care for eye injuries
- Prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses
Kids’ Eye Exams
Our eye care team places great emphasis on ensuring that your child can achieve the best possible vision and eye health — from the very start. The eye exams we conduct will change as your child grows and their visual system develops. We will assess whether they and their vision are meeting age-appropriate developmental milestones, and if not, why not.
When a child’s visual system is malfunctioning or underdeveloped, it invariably affects their ability to learn. We use age-appropriate methods to determine whether your child has a refractive error like nearsightedness or farsightedness or a congenital eye condition that affects their eyesight, and how well their eyes are functioning.
Here’s what to expect at each age:
Baby’s First Eye Exam
Our ophthalmologists recommend that a baby’s first eye exam take place when the child is 6 months old. During the exam we’ll check their general eye health and make sure they don’t have any infections, or eye conditions such as congenital cataracts or an eye turn.
Of course, at 6 months of age your baby won’t be able to speak with us to provide feedback on their vision, but there are still a number of tests we can run to assess their eye health. Do both eyes appear normal and look in the same direction? Can your baby follow a face or a toy as it moves? Do they respond to light?
Dilating eye drops may also be used to get a closer look at the inside of your little one’s eyes. The ophthalmologist will use an instrument called a retinoscope to check for signs of refractive errors.
When a baby’s eyes are developing normally, our eye care team recommends a second pediatric eye exam around age 2. Babies with eye problems or developmental delays may need more frequent appointments.
Toddler and Preschool Eye Exams
Eye exams for toddlers and preschoolers will check for common refractive errors as well as visual system problems that can manifest or become more evident around this age. Conditions our eye care team may check for include:- Poor depth perception
- Color vision problems
- Strabismus (misalignment of the eyes or eye turns)
- Amblyopia (lazy eye).
- Problems with visual focusing
We understand that eye exams can sometimes feel long and even stressful for kids. That’s why we do our best to make it fun and age appropriate: our pediatric eye charts feature pictures or shapes that your child can recognize.
Just like with the infant eye exam, our team may dilate your preschooler’s pupils to access a wider view of their retina, optic nerve and blood vessels.
Eye Exams For School-Age Kids
Eye exams for children aged 6 to 18 use more complex devices to check for refractive errors and to determine the eye health and functioning of the visual system, including problems with distance and near vision and signs of eye disease, eye-coordination problems or other health conditions.In addition, our ophthalmologists will assess visual skills that are required for your child’s success in school and sports, such as:
- 3D stereo vision
- Binocular vision
- Visual tracking
- Color vision
- Eye focusing
State-Of-The-Art Detection and Treatment of Eye Conditions
Early detection and treatment of eye diseases and conditions is key for preserving your child’s vision as they get older. This is why our practice has invested in the latest eye care technologies to detect problems with your child’s eye health and vision earlier and more accurately than ever before.
If we find that your child has an eye condition, our friendly and professional eye care team will discuss your child’s treatment options.
In some cases, surgery may be the best choice. The earlier a problem is treated the better, as children tend to heal and adapt much quicker, the younger they are.
For more information on how Opthalmology Practice Name in LOCATION1 can help protect your child’s vision health, call us today at or visit our eye care clinic.
Our practice serves patients from CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3, and CITY 4, and surrounding communities.