Why Regular Eye Exams Matter for Your Child’s Development

Vision development is rapid in children and regular eye exams are crucial to ensure that this development progresses normally. Good eyesight is not just about seeing clearly—it's essential for overall educational success, participation in sports, and quality of life. School activities such as reading, writing, using computers, and interacting with smartboards demand intense visual involvement. If a child struggles visually, it can affect not only academic performance but also social interactions and physical activities.

Recommended Schedule for Pediatric Eye Exams

• Initial Exam: Between 6 and 12 months of age, it's recommended to conduct the first eye screening. This early stage check-up can detect any immediate issues that could affect a child's vision development.

• Infancy to Preschool: Follow-up exams should be conducted when the child is between 6 months and 3 years old. These exams include pupil response tests and the ability to track objects, ensuring that the eyes are developing normally.

• Preschool (3 to 3½ years): This is a critical time to assess visual acuity and eye alignment. Early detection of common conditions like lazy eye (amblyopia), crossed eyes (strabismus), and refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism) can lead to timely and effective treatment.

• School Age: Upon entering school, children should be screened for visual acuity and alignment regularly. Myopia is especially common and can be easily corrected with glasses.

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Signs of Vision Problems in Children

Parents can watch for several signs that may indicate a vision problem:

• Squinting or holding reading materials close to the face.

• Complaining of blurry vision.

• Short attention spans or quick loss of interest in visually demanding activities.

• Difficulty following along when reading or avoiding close-up activities like drawing.

• An unusual head tilt when looking at objects, which may indicate astigmatism.

​​​​​​​Myopia (nearsighteness) Management

• Myopia commonly known as nearsightedness happens when the eye grows too long, causing distance vision to be blurry.

• The more myopia a person is, the more their risk of eye diseases like glaucoma, myopic macular degeneration, retina tears and detachments. All of these conditions can cause permanent vision loss.

• Myopia can be slowed with intervention including lifestyle changes, contact lenses, and or glasses.

• At New Vision Care we offer these therapies to protect the vision of the future. Schedule a consultation if you believe your child has myopia.