Pediatric Eye Examination: How to Protect Your Child’s Vision

A pediatric eye exam assesses your child’s eye health by a pediatric optometrist or pediatric ophthalmologist. Optometrists are well-trained and have the necessary clinical tools to perform a kid’s eye exam. Routine eye exams for children are essential as the earlier an eye condition is spotted, the earlier treatment will be administered. The tests ensure your child’s eyes are healthy, and no conditions will interfere with their daily activities and learning. A kid’s eye test will be done several times during their lifespan.

The tests follow the schedule below:

• 72 hours after birth
• Six to eight months
• Six to twelve months
• One to two years
• Three to five years
• Five years and older

A pediatric eye exam can be a vision screening or a comprehensive eye exam. A vision screening is efficient in identifying eye problems. It is a thorough vision test compared to the brief screening during physical exams by your primary physician. On the other hand, a comprehensive exam involves a further examination to identify the exact problem and diagnose it. A pediatric ophthalmologist does it.

You should seek a comprehensive eye test if a child:

• Has development delays like the inability to differentiate shapes or colors
• Complains of a severe headache and eye strain
• Has eyes that face different directions
• Is frequently blinking and rubbing their eyes
• Starts sitting close to the TV
• Places a book close to their face when reading
• Develops Sudden clumsy behavior
• Fails a vision screening
• Begins to squint

What to Expect During Eye Tests

Eye examinations can differ according to the child’s age and the number of visits you have had. If you’re meeting the doctor for the first time, prepare for questions about your child’s medical history. They may include:

• Pre-natal complications
• Birth weight
• Family history of eye disease
• Previous eye problems or surgery
• Allergies
• Present time medication

The physician examines newborns for obvious eye defects as part of the physical examination. Infants between six and eight weeks old are offered follow-up tests to check for dysfunctions that might have been missed or have become observable.

Children between six months and two years will be tested for focusing skills, color vision, and depth perception. Your doctor will examine the following :

• Pupil response to light and darkness
• The ability to concentrate on an object and focus on it as it moves
• If the child can differentiate a blank and colored card

Eye exams for children between two and five years will involve essential learning skills since they are starting school. They may include:

• Color vision tests to find out if they can discriminate between colors
• Analysis of their visual skills to check for lazy or crossed-eyes and short-sightedness
• An ocular examination to rule out problems in the parts of the eye, such as tumors and glaucoma.
• A test to find out if both eyes work in sync, focusing difficulties and inadequate depth perception

What Causes Eye Problems in Children?

Kids’ eye test can reveal several eye deficiencies that include:

• Myopia, short-sightedness. This condition makes objects that are far appear blurry while close items are clear. It is mostly detected in children above five years old.
• Hyperopia, long-sightedness. Objects situated at a distance appear clearly, while near located objects are blurred.
• Astigmatism. The child’s transparent layer, cornea, does not have a curved shape.
• Color blindness. Difficulty in discriminating between colors. It is more common in boys than in girls.
• Lazy eye. It’s a condition where one eye does not develop properly.
• Childhood Cataracts. Cloudy spots in the lens present from birth.
• Squint or Strabismus. Cross-eyed vision. The eyes face different directions.

Children may not be able to tell if they have a problem; hence they rely on your vigilance to adhere to regular eye tests. Routine check-ups will reduce the possibility of an eye-sight difficulty going unnoticed and maintaining good vision.

If you need a pediatric eye examination in Toronto, ON, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with us. At Yorkdale eye care, we are dedicated to providing an all-in analysis for our patients’ well-being. Our optometrist in Toronto, ON, is specialized to conduct comprehensive vision care that guarantees accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.