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Eye Exams for Kids: Pediatric Eye Care in New Albany


No matter the stage of life your child is in, making sure that they have healthy eyes and vision is essential for their educational and developmental progress.

Visual Development in Infants: 0–2 Years

During the initial months of life, infants experience significant strides in visual development, mastering skills such as eye coordination, focus, and processing visual stimuli. These milestones lay the foundation for their exploration of the world, understanding of their environment, and the development of essential motor skills like crawling and hand-eye coordination.

To protect your baby's visual health, scheduling their first eye examination around the age of 6 months is recommended. During this assessment, a pediatric eye doctor will evaluate visual acuity, eye development, and screen for conditions such as strabismus (crossed eyes). For preterm infants or those showing developmental concerns, more frequent visits may be advisable.

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Visual Check-Ups for Preschoolers: Ages 2-5

Between the ages of 2 and 5, children experience fast growth, developing crucial skills like hand-eye coordination and depth perception, which are foundational for activities such as reading, writing, and sports.

As a parent, it's essential to be attentive to potential visual challenges like amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes), which can make learning difficult. Fortunately, these visual problems can be effectively managed when detected early.

Signs of visual problems in children include difficulty recognizing objects, numbers, letters, or colors, as well as any coordination issues. Squinting, frequent eye rubbing, prolonged screen proximity, and avoidance of visually demanding tasks may signal underlying visual concerns.

Visual Assessments for School-Aged Children: Ages 6–18

During their school years, children with poor visual skills may encounter obstacles in academics, social interactions, and overall development. Indications of inadequate visual skills may manifest as difficulties in focusing, reading, headaches, and behaviors resembling symptoms of ADHD.

Regular eye examinations are crucial, as children may not be aware of abnormal vision and lack a basis for comparison.

In a comprehensive pediatric eye exam, an eye doctor will assess visual abilities, peripheral vision, color perception, hand-eye coordination, and binocular vision (the ability of both eyes to work together). Furthermore, your optometrist will examine external and internal eye structures to identify potential health conditions.

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What to Expect During a Pediatric Eye Assessment

A pediatric eye assessment entails evaluating your child's visual health and overall eye function. This includes assessing essential visual skills like focusing, peripheral vision, color recognition, hand-eye coordination, and binocular vision. The examination will also involve scrutinizing external and internal eye structures to screen for diseases and detect any underlying health conditions. Factors such as medical history, developmental milestones, family eye history, previous eye injuries, and current medication usage will be considered during the evaluation.

School Vision Screenings vs. Pediatric Eye Examinations

While school vision screenings can offer valuable insights into certain visual concerns, they do not provide the comprehensive scope of a pediatric eye examination performed by your pediatric optometrist. School screenings primarily focus on identifying nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia), potentially overlooking more intricate problems that could significantly impact a child's visual well-being and academic performance.

In contrast, a pediatric eye examination encompasses a thorough assessment conducted by an experienced eye care expert. This evaluation includes a comprehensive analysis of various visual skills, an examination of eye health, and consideration of the child's overall eye development.

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According to experts, 80% of learning is visual, which means that if your child is having difficulty seeing clearly, his or her learning can be affected. This also goes for infants who develop and learn about the world around them through their sense of sight. To ensure that your children have the visual resources they need to grow and develop normally, their eyes and vision should be checked by an eye doctor at certain stages of their development.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA) children should have their eyes examined by an eye doctor at 6 months, 3 years, at the start of school, and then at least every 2 years following. If there are any signs that there may be a vision problem or if the child has certain risk factors (such as developmental delays, premature birth, crossed or lazy eyes, family history or previous injuries) more frequent exams are recommended. A child that wears eyeglasses or contact lenses should have his or her eyes examined yearly. Children’s eyes can change rapidly as they grow.