When Should I Schedule My Child's First Eye Exam?

Healthy vision is crucial to a child's educational success and social development. Warning signs that your child is experiencing vision problems can include them sitting too close to the TV screen, squinting, or tilting their head to see better, holding objects unnaturally close to focus on them, and crossing or drifting of their eyes.

These problems may be corrected by simply getting them eyeglasses. Children usually respond well to eyewear when it's accurately prescribed. And by providing clearer images to the brain, eyeglasses help your child's visual development and may prevent amblyopia, sometimes referred to as “lazy eye.”

It's also important to schedule an exam if your child has persistent redness or "pink eye," excessive tearing, or unusual sensitivity to light, as these symptoms could indicate an infection or glaucoma where an early diagnosis could be critical.

Your child will likely have a cursory eye exam during their regular pediatric visits, but if you or your pediatrician have concerns that your child may have more serious vision problems, you should have them checked by a pediatric ophthalmologist.