Good eyesight is one of the greatest blessings that a child can have. It's important to check up on the progression of a child's vision, even if there are no indications of trouble. Let's take a look at how you and a pediatric eye doctor can approach the problem.
Early Checkups
Your child's first vision check actually occurs right after birth. At that time, the doctors and nurses at the neonatal unit of the hospital will perform routine checks for indications of early childhood vision issues. They will try to identify problems like crossed or wandering eyes and indications of rare cancers that can occur in infants.
The first checkup should be scheduled for 6 months of age. At this time, the doctor, usually a pediatrician, will verify that the baby doesn't have any tracking or muscle issues. Blocked tear ducts can also be trouble at this age.
It won't be until the middle of age three that a child gets a further checkup. Once again, this one will probably be performed by a pediatrician. The first check for true visual acuity problems is conducted at this age. Extreme cases may be referred to an eye doctor.
At age 5, the last of the early-childhood eye-checks happens. Many schools require this checkup, and a lot of them conduct them in school. If you're already worried about visual acuity issues, you may want to take your child to a pediatric eye doctor for a closer examination.
Later Issues
Once kids get to reading age, there's a tendency to rely on real-world indications of vision problems. It's common, for example, to only seek help if a child is having trouble reading in school. Undiagnosed problems often can cause declines in school performance, so it's a good idea to conduct an eye doctor visit if a kid is having trouble.
A diagnosis of a learning disability, while not always caused by vision, should also be treated as a reason to go to an eye doctor. It's not guaranteed to be a vision problem, but even a child losing their place while reading may be an eyesight issue and not a concentration problem.
Eyesight issues may also be detected due to non-school activities. For example, kids in sports, especially ones with high visual acuity demands like baseball, often become aware of vision problems while playing. Individual activities might also provide hints, such as physical clumsiness or uncertainty.
For more information, contact an eye doctor like JC Reiss.
Share21 June 2019
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