Parents need to give their children a healthy start in life, and eyesight is crucial. However, one of the key questions that bother most parents is when the best time to start getting your child's eyes checked out by a professional is? Early eye examinations for babies and children should not be put off because some eye disorders can damage eyesight for the rest of a child's life. The sooner an issue is identified, the easier it is to address it.
In addition to determining whether or not your kid can see correctly and whether or not they need glasses, eye tests are a preventative measure, just like routine checkups with a physician.
When is the right time to go for an eye check-up?
After birth and throughout the first few years of life, pediatricians do limited eye exams. Whereas the children with the following conditions should have their eyes examined more frequently:
- Have a brother or parent with a severe eye problem, such as crossed or turned eye(s) (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia).
- If you believe that your kid has a vision issue, you should consult a professional immediately.
There are many instances when there are no apparent signs. It's possible, though, that conditions or anomalies that are left undiagnosed might result in visible loss. A lazy eye is a famous illustration of this. One eye is weaker than the other, and children with this problem do well with early treatment.
HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE IF THERE'S AN ISSUE?
Is it possible to tell whether there's a problem? Yes, you can safeguard your child's eyesight by following these guidelines:
1) Test before school life commences:
It is not necessary to wait till your child begins school. Consult a qualified children's eye care expert if you have any concerns about your child's eyesight in the early stages of development. However, it's preferable to get a professional children's eye test before they attend pre-school.
2) Do not ignore family history:
Children's eye tests should have been done regardless of whether they have a family history of vision issues or not. But the likelihood of your child developing vision issues is higher when the condition runs in your family, just as it is with many other health-related illnesses. As a result, it's advisable to begin monitoring it as soon as you can.
3) Go to an expert:
Ophthalmologists and opticians, who specialize in eye health and early detection of visual impairments, are similar to pediatricians. Modern digital technologies and child-friendly equipment for interactive testing have become commonplace in the ophthalmic industry.
4) Trust your instincts:
Parents need to trust their intuition. Remember, you are the one who knows your child the most, after all. Parents are typically the first to discover symptoms that something may be amiss. It will help the optometrist or someone else who can provide extra expert advice.
What to expect from children's eye tests?
- Pupils' receptiveness towards the light. Finding strabismus by looking at eye alignment (squint).
- Attention to the "lazy eye" and dominance of the eyes (amblyopia).
- Binocular vision testing measures how the eyes operate together by employing filters.
- Using child-friendly shapes or letters, test your vision for focus issues.
Final thoughts
Following the children's eye test, you'll learn whether your child requires glasses, contact lenses, or surgery to fix eyesight. Several eye conditions can affect vision, including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. As a result, your doctor will issue you with the prescription for the corrective lenses your child requires. You and your doctor will discuss the next steps for additional testing or addressing an underlying problem if the eye exam produces further produces abnormal results.