Our eye care team loves working with children!
We partner with local pediatricians, family practice doctors, and optometrists in the community to identify pediatric patients in need of further evaluation and treatment. Our practice treats a wide variety of pediatric conditions including blocked tear ducts, amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (misaligned eyes), hordeolum/chalazion (stye), allergic/vernal conjunctivitis, congenital ptosis (eyelid drooping), congenital glaucoma, and dermoid cysts. We also partner with many community optometrists to provide pediatric eye care in a cooperative, cost-effective manner.
Does my child need an eye exam?
Some signs that could indicate issues with a child’s vision would include squinting or closing one or both eyes, keeping the head tilted or turned in a particular position, appearing to have one eye that appears crossed, drifted outwards or upwards, having difficulty identifying objects or people at a distance, consistently looking over their glasses or tilting glasses, or holding toys very close to the face to identify. Other signs of common eye problems are persistently red, itchy eyes, tearing and crusting from one or both eyes, swelling of the eyelids or eyes that are overly sensitive to light.
What can I expect from a pediatric eye exam?
During a pediatric eye exam, you can expect for your child to have their vision checked at near and distance, eye alignment checked (by momentarily covering up one eye) and eye movements checked as well as their three dimensional or stereovision. Your child will then be given eye drops to dilate his or her eyes and relax their ability to focus. These eye drops take 30 minutes to take effect and you should expect to spend 2-3 hours for the office visit. Your child will then have a dilated eye exam to look at the important structures in the back of the eye (retina and optic nerve) and will have their glasses prescription checked using a special light (retinoscope) and lenses to neutralize the eye.
Routine eye EXAMS are not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmologists, but routine VISION SCREENING is recommended for all children. Vision screening is usually performed in the setting of well child exams at your primary care provider’s office as well as performed at the school during early school years. We assist with coordinating these screenings within our community. If your family has a notable history of disease that affects the eyes, or if unusual eye/vision symptoms are noticed, a more formal eye exam is recommended. If you are uncertain about whether your child needs an exam, our team can help answer your questions. Feel free to contact us to schedule an appointment or ask a question.
Please click here to learn more about common diseases that affect children’s eyes.
