A question that is often asked by our patients and clients is; when is a good time to get my kid’s eyes tested? Today, we will discuss when it is essential to have your child’s eye test to ensure their vision and eye health are all in good shape.
How Young is Too Young?
Optometrists are trained to examine eyes detect and diagnose vision and eye-health related issues at all ages. It doesn’t matter if you have an infant, a toddler or a teenager; finding an optometrist with the right equipment would make an eye test for your child routine and seamless.
As an infant, your optometrist can look at vital eye reflexes to rule out any red flags early in vision development. This often can occur as a form of health screening by your maternal health nurse. As the child grows and develops, they’ll learn how to use their eyes and improve their coordination as a part of their motor development. Often, a child not meeting their developmental milestones could have some vision impairment. If you or your health professional have noted any red flags, it doesn’t hurt to have your child’s eyes tested to ensure they are working and developing as expected.
From Toddlers to Early Teenagers
Children respond differently to different sets of standardised tests your optometrist may perform. At Capital Eye, we have specialised charts and equipment to test your child’s eye to better cooperation and outcome during the appointment. It is not uncommon to have multiple appointments to get the child comfortable performing a full eye test or break it down and spread it across different days. Children’s eye examinations often can be quite variable depending on the day. We can ensure we get your child’s most accurate and reliable responses with specialised equipment and eye charts.
If you have any concerns with your child’s vision, bring them in.
It doesn’t matter what age your child is. If you have concerns regarding your child’s vision, bring them to see an optometrist as soon as you can. Early detection and diagnosis of eye conditions improve the success rate of any treatment and management strategies.
The Bottom Line
During the early years of our kids’ lives, they face many challenges. Having good vision and good eye health allows them to develop and explore at their own pace. Early detection of any vision issues is crucial.
At Capital Eye, we recommend that all children should have at least one eye test done by their optometrist before the age of 6 as a bare minimum. Should you have any concerns regarding your child’s eye health and vision, consider making an appointment with our paediatric optometrist, Dr Tom Morton, who has an interest and is experienced in treating children of all ages.