Pediatric eye exams are performed by a pediatric ophthalmologist or a pediatric optometrist. Your child’s eye doctor will be able to determine the health of your child’s eyes during an eye exam. Family Eye Clinic provides pediatric eye care with convenient locations in Sherwood, North Little Rock, and Little Rock.
The Importance of Eye Exams for Children
To ensure your child’s eyes are healthy and not suffering from vision issues that could come in between their school performance or sports games, regular eye exams are recommended. Without a routine eye exam, you could be putting your child’s safety at risk. Early eye exams for your child are important because they need to have the necessary visual skills for suitable learning. Having adequate visual skills enables your child to:
- Have accurate eye movement skills
- Have accurate eye teaming skills
- Have excellent visual acuity at all distances
- Improve their ability to learn
How Often Should My Child Have an Eye Exam?
Beginning at the age of 6 months, children should undergo a comprehensive eye exam. Following 6 months of age, they should undergo another eye exam at the age of 3 and before beginning the first grade. Children of school age should undergo an eye exam every two years if they do not need any correction to their vision. Additionally, children who wear eyeglasses or contact lenses should undergo an eye exam once a year or as directed by their eye doctor.
Eye Testing for Infants & Younger Children
Babies should have the same focusing ability as adults as well as depth perception and color vision by the age of 6 months. This is why it is important to have your baby’s eyes checked to ensure they are developing appropriately. Our eye doctor will normally use the following tests to test your infant’s vision:
- Follow and fixate
- Preferential looking
- Tests of pupil responses
Pre-school-age children do not need to know their letters to have an eye exam. Some of the most common eye tests for younger children include:
- LEA symbols
- Random dot stereopsis
- Retinoscopy
- Lazy eye
- Misalignment of eyes
- Convergence insufficiency
- Focusing problems, color blindness, and poor depth perception
- Eye health problems
Keep in mind that it is imperative to have your child’s vision tested at an early age to ensure he or she has the visual skills they need for optimal school performance. A child who cannot see a blackboard becomes easily frustrated, or cannot see print or view could be suffering from vision problems that could lead to poor academic performance if left untreated.
Pediatric Eye Care in Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Sherwood
Contact Family Eye Clinic today at (501) 835-7800 to schedule an appointment. We are an optometry practice with locations in North Little Rock, Little Rock, and Sherwood.