You want to get your child off to a good start in life, which means ensuring they are healthy. Scheduling regular eye exams will help protect your child’s eye health. Eye exams should begin as early as possible.

Some eye issues develop in childhood and can affect the child’s vision for life. Detecting vision and eye health issues early will help get the best treatment and keep them from worsening. 

Importance of Eye Exams

Eye exams do more than check whether your child needs glasses. Like regular health exams, eye exams play a vital preventative role. Experts recommend scheduling annual comprehensive exams when the child is young.

They provide the opportunity to check if the child’s vision and eye health is developing properly. The first eye exam can help detect abnormalities in ocular alignment, issues with light reflex, and other internal aspects. 

Does Your Child Need to See an Eye Doctor?

All children need to see an eye doctor regularly. Regular exams are more vital if:

• The child has strabismus or amblyopia

• The child has an eye issue detected by the parent or pediatrician

• There is a family history of eye problems or vision issues like myopia

• The parent suspects the child has visual difficulties

Remember, your child may have eye or vision issues without obvious symptoms. Most eye diseases do not show symptoms in the early stages. If you have questions regarding your child’s vision, do not hesitate to see an eye doctor.

Preventing Severe Eye Conditions 

Regular visits to an eye doctor can help detect abnormalities or conditions that can cause vision loss. If caught early, eye conditions, such as lazy eye, can be reversed. It is one of the most common conditions in young children and usually responds well to treatment.

Early treatment options include eye drops, eye patches, and special eyeglasses. You do not have to wait until the child begins school to schedule a visit to the eye doctor. Most children get vision screening before they start school, but the tests only check for eyesight issues. 

Visiting a Pediatric Eye Specialist 

Pediatricians usually conduct simple tests to check for external eye or vision issues. However, you still need to schedule an exam with an eye specialist. Pediatric ophthalmologists are trained to detect and treat eye issues in children. They use kid-friendly equipment to check children’s eyes. They know how to test vision even when the child is too young to identify letters or images. The pediatrician may suspect the child has an issue, but only an eye doctor can diagnose and recommend treatment.

Trust Your Instincts

If you suspect that your child has an eye issue, you should schedule a visit to the eye doctor. As a parent, you should learn to trust your instincts. You are likely to be the first person to notice signs of eye problems.

The pediatrician may not find a problem, but you should still get a second opinion. An experienced eye specialist will be ready to listen to the parent. The tests conducted during pediatric eye exams usually depend on the child’s age.

For more on whether your child needs to see an eye doctor, call SeePort Optometry at (941) 876-4400 to reach our North Port, Florida office.