Eye exams for children

The child’s first eye checkup has to be done around the age of six. During the visit the doctor will estimate the child’s vision acuity.

Patient’s history

The doctor has to be informed about the child’s health history in order to estimate if there are other diseases that can affect the child’s vision.

The doctor will ask about your child’s general health. Let the doctor know if your child was prematurely born or if there were problems during labor. Mention if there are health issues, surgical procedures or allergies. Also, if there is any form of medication the child receives. The doctor may ask you if you have observed anything unusual in the child’s vision or ask for older photographs to check if something has changed in your child’s eyes during time. Let your doctor know if there are members in your family that may have strabismus, amblyopia or other eye problems.

Eye exam

The eye exam is done to check the child’s vision acuity and the possibility of vision problems.

Children in ages 3-5 are observed when interacting with vision stimulating objects, such as cards with colors or shapes. In ages where the child is capable of reading, the standard adult eye checks are performed. The doctor may use special equipment to measure the quality of your child’s vision.

Ophthalmoscopy or Fundoscopy is also a very important exam. After the pupil’s dilation, which is done with eye drops, the doctor will use a special instrument to observe the interior of your child’s eye. The pupils will remain dilated and vision may be blurry after 4-6 hours or even a few days.