When Should My Baby Have Their First Eye Exam in Maple Ridge, BC?

When they are born, babies are still developing their visual abilities. At first, they can only see objects close to their face. Over time, their visual acuity sharpens and they get the ability to see objects that are farther away. At some point in this early stage of development, your baby should have his or her first pediatric vision exam. At Maple Ridge Eye Care in Maple Ridge, BC, we want all parents to understand how important it is to have their baby’s eyes examined early in their development, to catch visual problems early.

Have Your Baby’s Eyes Examined before Age 1

Your baby's first eye exam with the eye doctor should take place between the ages of 6 and 12 months, and on an annual basis thereafter. At your baby’s eye exam, we'll check for:

• Visual acuity

• Eye muscle control and coordination

• Near sightedness

• Far sightedness

• and more

We'll also check for serious eye diseases such as cataracts (which affects 1 in every 4,000 babies) and retinoblastoma, a tumor at the back of the eye (affecting 1 in every 100,000 one year olds). These exams allow us to catch problems as they’re developing. If caught early enough, some visual problems can even be permanently corrected. This means that your baby may have better vision as an adult than as a small child!

Make an Appointment Today

Have you taken your baby to get his or her first eye exam? Take your child to see a trusted optometrist in Maple Ridge. At Maple Ridge Eye Care, serving Pitt Meadows and the greater area, we're proud to serve the children and their parents of Maple Ridge. For more information about getting your child his or her first appointment with the eye doctor, contact us today. We'll make be happy to make your baby's first eye exam appointment.