All children need eye exams, even if they don't show signs of visual problems. Pediatric eye exams allow an eye doctor to diagnose and treat eye issues early so they do not worsen with age. At The Vision Learning Center, we have provided residents of Spring, TX, with reliable pediatric eye care services for many years.
When Should Children Have an Eye Exam?
The American Optometric Association (AOA) suggests children have their first comprehensive eye exam at 6 months old. They should have additional exams at 3 years old and just before they start first grade. Afterward, it's a good idea to have an eye exam every two years when your child is a student. If your child needs glasses or contact lenses, then they should have an annual eye exam to stay on top of their vision needs.
What are Common Visual Impairments in Children?
Several visual impairments occur in children and you may not even notice them without an eye exam. Any child may develop misaligned eye movements with one eye looking straight while another eye is turned in, out, up, or down, or tracking problems where they can't follow objects, as they should. They may develop either farsightedness or nearsightedness at an early age as well. These abnormalities can be found through an eye exam and corrected early in your child's life.
Why is Pediatric Eye Care So Important?
Some common childhood eye problems can cause blindness later in life if they are not caught at an early stage of life. When a child's eyes are misaligned, each eye will send a signal to the brain of what it is seeing and the two images will be different. In time, the brain will ignore the signals from the weaker eye and essentially make your child blind in that eye causing depth perceptions and other permanent vision disorders. To be successful in school, your child must be able to see properly.
Schedule an Eye Exam with Our Pediatric Eye Doctor in Spring, TX
Call the Vision Learning Center today at (832) 592-9650 for more information or to schedule an appointment with our eye doctor.
