Many people assume that children, especially very young children, don’t need to see the eye doctor unless there is an obvious problem. However, a pediatric eye exam might catch issues that are otherwise invisible. Young children have very malleable brains and the way that they perceive visual cues is shaped during the first several years of their lives. For this reason, it is important that your toddler eye exam happen on time.
How Old Should My Toddler Be Before Going to the Pediatric Optometrist Reno?
Ideally, your child would see a pediatric optometrist Reno before they were old enough to be considered a toddler. The current recommendations for pediatric vision screening encourage parents to take their babies to the eye doctor at around six months old. Ideally, infants receive vision screening from an eye doctor at birth, six months of age, and perhaps again at one year.
The recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics call for the screening at birth and six months of age, but omit the one-year-old checkup for healthy kids. After this, a true toddler eye exam is recommended at three years old, and a visit prior to entering kindergarten or first grade (about age 5) is also recommended. If your toddler hasn’t had an eye exam yet, don’t worry too much—just make an appointment and get started now.
What Does a Toddler Eye Exam Screen For?
People may wonder why a toddler or especially an infant should see the eye doctor. After all, a baby can’t read an eye chart. However, a toddler eye exam screens for many conditions that are relatively common and easy to treat at a young age, such as crossed or lazy eyes. Parents may notice these conditions if they are severe, but issues that can still affect vision may be invisible to an untrained eye.
During eye exams for children Reno, the doctor looks for general eye health as well as these specific conditions:
- Amblyopia
- Strabismus
- Refractive error
- Astigmatism
- Congenital defects
Amblyopia is sometimes called lazy eye. Strabismus refers to eyes that are misaligned so that when one eye focuses on something, the other eye is looking in another direction. Refractive error refers to what is usually called near- or farsightedness. Astigmatism describes a very common condition in which vision is impaired by a slightly misshapen eye. All of these conditions can and should be treated at a young age.
Come to Epic Vision Development for Your Child’s Pediatric Eye Exam in Reno
Here at Epic Vision Development, we believe strongly in eye exams for children Reno. Our doctor specializes in pediatric vision care and has set up his office to be welcoming and especially friendly for kids under 5. So, if you have a child who needs a pediatric eye exam, call us today at (775) 318-8118 for an appointment!
When did your child have his or her first vision exam?