Child Eye Care

Vision issues can develop at any life stage, making it crucial to keep up with your child's eye care for early detection and intervention. Regular check-ups can help identify and mitigate problems before they worsen.

What does child eye care entail?

The initial comprehensive eye assessment should ideally take place when a child turns 3 and then biennially once they begin school. An annual exam is recommended if your child already relies on prescription eyewear.

Vision plays a critical role in your child's learning and overall development, especially since most children are primarily visual learners until the age of 12. Many vision difficulties can go unnoticed for some time because children often don't realise their vision is impaired, lacking a point of comparison.

What are the signs of vision issues in children?

Unless symptoms like eye discomfort, headaches, or struggles with school tasks are mentioned, vision issues might go undetected. Hence, scheduling regular eye exams for your child is highly advisable.

Signs that your child may have vision issues include:

• Limited interest in projects at a distance
• Siting usually close to their TV or classroom board and holding things very near to the eyes
• Frequent squinting and sensitivity to light
• Poor hand-eye coordination could indicate a vision problem, such as having difficulty catching a ball.

What happens during a children's eye exam?

During the exam, our qualified optometrist will assess the following:

• Pupil responsiveness to light
• Eye tracking and focus capabilities
• Retinal health through a retinoscopy
• Rather than the conventional letter chart, children may be shown a series of symbols and shapes to identify. The "tumbling E" game is employed for youngsters who can't yet recognise letters; they'll indicate which way the letter "E" is facing.

The exam's results will reveal if your child needs prescription glasses. If they do, it's crucial to have their eyes rechecked annually, as it's common for prescriptions to change as children grow.

Book your child's all-inclusive eye assessment today.