Good, clear vision is essential for a child’s development. It’s never too early to have your child’s eyes examined, because babies are unable to communicate the issues they’re experiencing. Parents typically notice the obvious issues with their child, rather than those that cannot be easily detected (such as visual impairments).
In fact, most parents only notice visual impairments when the child’s visual acuity drops below 60%. The good news is that the earlier corrective measures are taken, the more successful the outcome will be.
Children should have their first eye examination within the first 10 days of life. Correcting issues this early, when the eye has not taken it’s final form, is more successful than correcting such issues later. It is important to note that there are certain visual health issues – if left unaddressed- can no longer be minimized or avoided.
Premature babies should be checked while still in the incubator, because premature children sometimes have visual impairments due to the reduced time spent in development within the womb. Glasses and even contact lenses can be prescribed and adapted for premature babies, full-term babies, and young children. Small children’s frames like SPIN make this feasible.
Please: keep a watchful eye on your children’s eye health. Schedule an appointment with your optometrist if you notice squinting, twitching, or graying of the pupil. This is especially true if eye-health issues run in your family.