Young Eyes Need Special Care
From the first time your child opens their eyes, they’re learning, exploring, and beginning to understand the world around them. And as your child grows, their eyes will undergo an incredible number of changes.
Vision problems can develop without notice during these formative years. Children aren’t always aware when they have an issue, so it’s imperative to know what to look for. You can bring your child in for eye exams that protect and preserve their vision.
Building a strong relationship with your child’s eye care team can also help your child develop healthy eye habits and teach them how to care for their visual health for life. We’re excited to be a vital member of your child’s healthcare team and to show them how they can love their eyes!
How Often Do Children Need Eye Exams?
Eye exams are designed to check your child’s overall eye health, their visual development, and look for signs of childhood eye problems. To better monitor your child’s development, the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) recommends taking them for eye exams when they’re expected to reach their visual milestones.
Infants & Toddlers
It’s highly recommended that you take your child for their first eye exam when they’re between 6 and 9 months old. Your child gains eye muscle control and hand-eye coordination during these months, and crossed eyes or a lazy eye may become apparent at this age.
Preschool Children
Your child should undergo a second eye exam between 2 and 5 years old. These years are crucial formative years for your child, and their development is heavily tied to their vision at this time.
Before your child begins school, an eye exam will check that their eyes are developing properly and look for vision problems that could hold them back academically.
School-Aged Children
Once your child starts school, they’ll rely even more on their eyes and vital visual skills to learn and grow. While they’re in school, your child should have annual eye exams to monitor their eyes for changes and diagnose and correct vision problems before they impact their ability to learn.
Symptoms of Childhood Vision Problems
Because your child naturally adapts to their growing and changing eyes, they may not notice when a vision problem pops up, thinking they see the same way everyone else does. But they may still exhibit some subtle signs they’re having trouble with their eyes.
You can help them by watching for these signs and bringing them for regular eye exams:
- An eye that turns in or out
- Sensitivity to light
- Squinting, rubbing, or covering one or both eyes
- Excessive blinking
- Red, itchy, or watery eyes
- Inability to concentrate
- Irritability or short attention span
- A lack of interest in reading or other close work
- Holding objects too close
- Sitting too close to the TV
- Complaining of headaches
Some common pediatric eye problems include:
If your child exhibits any of these signs of an eye problem, please book a children’s eye exam at Vancouver Block Optometrists.
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- #800-736 Granville Street
- Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3
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Vancouver Block Optometrists
- #800-736 Granville Street
- Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3
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P: 604-681-8653
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