The Importance of Pediatric Eye Examinations

Parents must take care of their children’s eye health by taking them for regular eye exams. Many parents overlook these examinations, unaware of—or downplaying—their importance. Here is a closer look at pediatric eye examinations.

What Are They?

Pediatric eye examinations are checkups that use various tests to confirm your child’s eye health. Vision screenings are not substitutes for these examinations as they focus on refractive errors. Pediatric eye exams will check for more than refractive errors; they will also examine eye teaming skills, movement skills, and eye diseases.

When Should You Take Your Child?

The first pediatric eye exam should be at six months. However, you can do it between then and one year old. Afterward, they should be every year for the first five years of their life. They can later graduate to exams every two years on the doctor’s recommendation. 

Importance

There are numerous benefits of pediatric eye exams. The top ones are ensuring that your child goes through his/her young life without vision problems and with healthy eyes. Here is a better look at these checkups and their importance.

Ensuring Eye Health

Healthy eyes can see clearly and work together in alignment. Pediatric eye exams will give you a confirmation of whether these are true. The doctor will check for different skills and abilities at various stages of your child’s growth. When your child’s eyes are not healthy, they will not have these core skills and abilities. Thus, they may miss some developmental milestones.

Pediatric eye exams will find these issues, allowing the doctor to prescribe treatment. They may also recommend therapy or exercises you may have your child do at home. These will help them develop these skills and abilities.

Discovering Eye Diseases Early

Some eye diseases can manifest early in children. Eye exams will help catch any serious ones early. They let the doctor prescribe treatment and mitigate visual complications or blindness. Vision screenings will not test for some of these diseases.

Checking for Refractive Errors

Refractive errors like myopia can put your child at risk of developing age-related eye diseases early. When you discover these refractive errors early, you can start on myopia management and address these issues. Waiting until your children are older can make the refractive errors permanent.

Improving Academic Performance

When children cannot see in class, they shy away from engaging and asking questions. It may affect their performance and excitement about school. When you take them for eye exams and the doctor prescribes eye lenses so they can see, it motivates them. They can engage in class and improve their grades.

Participation in Physical Activities

Children will shy away from physical activities when they cannot see. Prescription lenses will change this, restoring their ability to see what is happening around them. They can participate and enjoy doing so. 

They can see the ball, run, catch, and chase their friends as they play. Children engaging in physical activities is beneficial to their overall health. It builds their muscles and makes them strong.

For more information on the importance of pediatric eye examinations, visit Limestone Eye Care at our Lawrence, Kansas, office. Call (785) 268-6880 to schedule an appointment today.