If you are a parent, then you are well-aware of the importance of all aspects of your children’s health. This should include your child’s eyesight. Whether your child is simply playing with his or her friends at recess or trying to concentrate in the classroom, it is critical that he or she can see clearly.
From hand-eye coordination to learning and interacting with others, your child’s vision will have a major impact on their overall health and happiness. With that you need to make sure you get your child’s vision checked as early as six months old.
At Eye Associates of Winter Park, our experienced pediatric optometric physicians provide exceptional primary eye care for families in Winter Park and Central Florida, from infants to senior citizens. Our doctors understand how important it is that your child has their vision checked to ensure that their visual development is progressing as expected to avoid any potential problems later in childhood or adulthood.
407-671-5445
1928 Howell Branch Rd.
Winter Park, FL 32792
When Should My Child See an Eye Doctor?
Before you bring your newborn baby home from the hospital, the hospital eye doctor will examine your child’s eyes. When your child is about the age of 6 months old (up to 12 months), the American Optometric Association recommends that parents bring their children into a pediatric eye doctor for a complete dilated exam.
After the infancy vision appointment, your Central Florida pediatric optometric physician will advise examinations of your child’s eye health at around age 3, age 5-6 (before the child begins kindergarten or 1st grade), and then every 1-3 years, depending on the individual case. When your child is in school, the nursing staff or parent volunteers will sometimes perform vision screenings. These in-school screenings are not nearly as comprehensive or thorough as an eye exam performed by experienced eye doctors. Even if the school nurse finds that a child has 20/20 distance vision, the child can still have undetected vision issues, or worse yet, eye disease only detectable by a dilated comprehensive eye examination.
set an appointmentCommon Pediatric Eye Problems
Whether your child is an infant, toddler, or older, children of all ages need regular appointments with our pediatric optometrist. Certain conditions may manifest while your child’s vision is developing, and our pediatric optometrist will be able to provide you with information regarding those conditions.
In general, there are several common pediatric eye problems, including:
Myopia (Nearsightedness)
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, refers to the ability to see objects close-up or complete tasks such as reading but the inability to see objects in the distance, such as the white board at school. You may see your child squinting, or complaining about eye strain or headaches.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, is the opposite of myopia in that a patient with farsightedness can see objects far away easier and with less strain than objects up close.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is caused by a “football-shaped” eye, and can result in blurriness, or distorted vision as the eye sends information to the retina and the brain.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
Amblyopia can be caused by an eye turn, one eye having a much worse spectacle prescription than the other eye, or high astigmatism in both eyes. This can lead to vision that cannot be improved without immediate treatment. There are many successful methods to treat amblyopia, including full-time wear of eyeglasses, patching, or daily mild atropine eye drops, depending on the particular case, but only if the amblyopia is detected early.
Strabismus (Eye Turn)
Strabismus is a condition where the eyes do not align, either a turned out eye, turned in eye, or sometimes vertically misaligned. Left untreated, strabismus can cause amblyopia, so it is very important that the condition be treated as early as possible. Treatment can sometimes include simply wearing glasses that can straighten the eyes, but sometimes eye muscle surgery is indicated. Our pediatric eye doctor will discuss with you best course of treatment for your child.
Vision Issues
Many different types of issues may develop in your child, including an inability to focus at near, poor depth perception, or problems with vision when looking from near to far or far to near.
Convergence Insufficiency
Convergence Insufficiency (CI) is a condition when a patient struggles to keep their eyes aligned when viewing work up close. When a child is reading, the inability to maintain eye alignment can cause eye strain and may even result in double vision when reading. This, of course, can hinder reading skill development, leading to poor school performance. Our pediatric eye doctors provide treatment for CI.
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
Computer Vision Syndrome, also known as digital eye strain, has become a common issue due to the reliance on and frequent use of digital screens such as phones, computers, and tablets. Our optometric physicians can help patients to reduce or eliminate CVS.
If you notice that your child is having trouble learning in school, it may be due to one of the above conditions or another healthcare issue that needs to be evaluated by one of our pediatric optometrists. Contact the Eye Associates of Winter Park to book an appointment for your child to visit our trusted pediatric eye doctor today!
What to Expect During a Pediatric Eye Exam
The pediatric eye exam will be slightly different as your child ages. Your pediatric eye doctor will check for common pediatric conditions for children younger than one year, including eye turns, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and amblyopia. The doctor will also examine the eyes’ movement and alignment, pupil reactions to light and overall medical health of the eyes. As your child grows up, additional testing will include testing the focusing system, color vision, and depth perception.
Schedule an Eye Exam for Your Child Today!
If you are a parent whose child needs the services of a pediatric eye doctor with experience, compassion, and exceptional services, contact the Eye Associates of Winter Park. Our caring staff is on a mission to provide you and your family with the eye care you need, at any age! Call today to make appointments for you and your family or get more information on any of our services.
Children often have fear when it comes to doctors, nurses, hospitals, and clinics, and our goal is to give access to great pediatric eye care without fear or stress. Contact us today to find out more.
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