PEDIATRIC EYE EXAM

 According to American Optometric Association: 

Birth through 2 years (Asymptomatic/low risk): At 6 to 12 months of age

Birth through 2 years (At Risk): At 6 to 12 months of age or as recommended 

3 through 5 years (Asymptomatic/low risk): At least once between 3 and 5 years of age

3 through 5 years (At Risk): At least once between 3 and 5 years of age or as recommended.

6 through 17 years (Asymptomatic/low risk): Before first grade and annually thereafter

6 through 17 years (At Risk): Before first grade and annually, or as recommended thereafter.

A pediatric eye exam is a crucial step in ensuring the visual health of children. It’s recommended that kids eye exams be conducted regularly, as many vision problems and eye diseases can be detected and treated early. During an eye exam for children, optometrists engage in a series of tests designed to evaluate the child’s vision and eye health, tailoring their approach to suit the young patient’s age and developmental stage. These exams are essential not only for detecting vision issues but also for ensuring that children have the visual skills necessary for academic success and proper social development. Parents should ensure their children undergo a comprehensive pediatric eye exam to safeguard their vision and overall well-being. 

Our Expert eye doctors at Eyecare Experts Sugar Land, see patients start 6 months of age. 

 The extent to which a child is at risk for the development of eye and vision problems determines the appropriate re-evaluation schedule. Children with ocular signs and symptoms require a prompt, comprehensive examination. Furthermore, the presence of certain risk factors may necessitate more frequent examinations based on professional judgment. Factors placing an infant, toddler or child at significant risk for eye and vision problems include:  

• Prematurity, low birth weight, prolonged supplemental oxygen at birth. 
• Family history of myopia, amblyopia, strabismus, retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, metabolic or genetic disease. 
• Infection of mother during pregnancy (e.g., rubella, toxoplasmosis, venereal disease, herpes, cytomegalovirus or human immunodeficiency virus). 
• Maternal smoking, use of alcohol or illicit drug use during pregnancy. 
• Cortical visual impairment. 
• Difficult or assisted labor, which may be associated with fetal distress. 
• High or progressive refractive error. 
• Strabismus
• Anisometropia. 
• Academic performance problems. 
• Known or suspected neurodevelopmental disorders. 
• Systemic health conditions with potential ocular manifestations. 
• Wearing contact lenses. 
• Functional vision in only one eye. 
• Eye surgery or previous eye injury. 
• Taking prescription or nonprescription drugs (e.g., over the counter medications, supplements, herbal remedies) with potential ocular side effects.

Vision screening programs are intended to identify children or adults who may have undetected vision problems. If the screening indicates a vision problem, they are referred for further evaluation.  However, a vision screening can't be relied on to provide the same results as a comprehensive eye and vision examination.

To understand why vision screenings may not find a vision problem, let's look at the factors that can limit their effectiveness.

• Limited testing. Many vision screenings test only for distance visual acuity. While the ability to see clearly in the distance is important, it does not indicate how well the eyes focus up close or work together. It also does not give any information about the health of the eyes. Some screenings may also include a plus lens test for farsightedness and a test of eye coordination. However, even these additional screening tests will miss many vision problems.
• Untrained personnel. Often, administrative personnel or volunteers who have little training conduct a vision screening. While well-intentioned, these individuals do not have the knowledge to competently assess screening results.
• Inadequate testing equipment. Even when done in a pediatrician's or primary care physician's office, the scope of vision screening may be limited by the type of testing equipment available. Factors such as room lighting, testing distances and maintenance of the testing equipment can also affect test results.

People often misunderstand what passing a vision screening means. The information obtained from a vision screening is comparable to the information obtained from a blood pressure measurement. A patient's blood pressure may be in normal range, but that doesn't mean that you do not have other health problems. It's merely a single measure of one aspect of your overall health. Just like you need a complete physical to evaluate your total health, only a comprehensive eye and vision examination can evaluate your overall eye health and vision status.

Vision is more than just the ability to see clearly or having 20/20 eyesight. It is also the ability to understand and respond to what is seen. There are many basic visual skills beyond seeing clearly that are important to supporting academic success. 

• Visual acuity—the ability to see clearly in the distance for viewing the chalkboard, at an intermediate distance for the computer and up close for reading a book. 
• Eye Focusing—the ability to quickly and accurately maintain clear vision as the distance from objects change, such as when looking from the chalkboard to a paper on the desk and back. Eye focusing allows the child to easily maintain clear vision over time like when reading a book or writing a report. 
• Eye tracking—the ability to keep the eyes on target when looking from one object to another, moving the eyes along a printed page or following a moving object like a thrown ball. 
• Eye teaming—the ability to coordinate and use both eyes together when moving the eyes along a printed page, and to be able to judge distances and see depth for classwork and sports. 
• Eye-hand coordination—the ability to use visual information to monitor and direct the hands when drawing a picture or trying to hit a ball. 
• Visual perception—the ability to organize images on a printed page into letters, words and ideas and to understand and remember what is read. 

Other visual perceptual skills include: 

• Recognition—the ability to tell the difference between letters like "b" and "d". 
• Comprehension—"picture" in the child's mind what is happening in a story he/she is reading. 
• Retention—remember and recall details of what we read. 

If any of these visual skills are lacking or not functioning properly, a child will have to work harder to learn as effectively. Students who struggle with a learning-related vision problem may experience headaches, eyestrain and fatigue. Parents and teachers need to be alert for symptoms that may indicate a child has a vision problem.