Vision Screening: What Age?

My child started wearing his glasses at 10 months old. It is amazing what they can do these days!!

S.
Doula, CCBE

Start with your pediatrician and go from their. I'm sure there has to be a way to evaluate his vision.

Wow, you are a busy mommy! Its funny I just got off the phone with my sister and found out my BIL passed his LSAT and is applying to Law School. With both my girls they started getting their eyes checked at 4 years old at the DR.office. Its just the charts..covering one eye and reading the chart. Last year the school sent a note home asking me to have my oldest daughters eyes check because she didnt do so good at the schools exam. Her eyes ended up being fine but bad eyes run in the family on my husbands side so we keep a close eye on her. Ask your Peds. Dr. if he can recommend anything. There has to be some earlier test I would think. Goodluck on your exam and Crangrats on the new pregnancy!

Healthy eyes start at birth! One in every 677 live births has a treatable eye disease that can take sight if not detected and treated. Cataracts is actually the most common eye disease at birth. Children are born with numerous problems, including Retinoblastoma, a pediatric cancer which is fatal if detected late. I learned this the hardway, through the needless death of my first grandson, Joey. Sadly, his pediatrician did not use an ophthalmoscope in a dark room and take 15 seconds to look at the back of his eyes. He was denied the standard of care. This would have saved his eye, his sight and his life. Through Joey's death, I learned the standard of care is not enought for infants. Their pupil is very small and we need to dilate the pupil in order to detect. With one in nine babies now showing a concern, this is vital to their health and welfare. At the beginning of the well baby exam, after the infant is weighed, the nurse will put one drop in the corner of each eye. It takes a few seconds of time and costs less than ten cents! At the end of the exam, the pediatrician will make the room dark and use the ophthalmoscope looking at all angels of the back of the eye. If they do not get a strong red reflex, then they will refer the infant to an eye doctor. It is recommended we do this at birth or within the first two weeks, the 6-8 week well baby visit and again at the 6-9 month exam. These 3 ehanced exams will get the vast majority of our babies to eye doctors in time to save their sight. We have been trying to legislate the exam since Joey's death. It is a very hard battle. The infant hearing tests took over two decades to mandate. Sadly, it continues.
Our children deserve the best sight possible when they start school. Make sure this happens for your baby and the standard of care happenw at every check up from birth throughout their lifetime.
FYI...be alert to your photos! A simple flash photo can save sight and sometimes the life of a child.
I took a photo of the tumor in Joey's eye on Thanksgiving weekend while visiting Santa at the mall. Yes, you can photograph an eye disease. Because we take so many photos of our children, we actually have a 60 percent chance of getting a problem on film when the flash goes off. Between now and the first of the year the flash is going off more than any other time because of the holidays...this is when we are photographing eye diseases. Please be alert to your photos.
Working together, we can ensure the healthy sight and lives of our children. On Joey's website, www.lovejoey.org and also on YouTube in his file savingsightandlives you will find a video of the eye dilation exam being performed by a pediatrician who has been doing this for the infants in his office since 1984. Also, detailed info on photos and other clues to be aware of which could indicate your child might have a visual problem.
The most common disease in our children is eye disease...think of the ophthalmoscope as the stethoscope for your child's eyes. It is even more important.
Everything happens for a reason. The ninth anniversary of Joey's death will be December 22. "Joey's message" has saved sight and lives of children across the US and in other countries as far away as Africa. He has truly been a gift of light and life to other children. I am grateful and very proud to be his grandma. Please contact me at anytime if you have questions or need help getting this exam for you child.
Peace and Happy Holidays, P. Bergsma (Joey's Grandma) The Joey Bergsma Retinoblastma Awareness Foundation 619 South K Street Lake Worth, Florida 33460 ###-###-####

I was just in the peds office and the ped association is recommending they start screening children in their office at age 3. I'm sure if you think your child is having problems, they would check his eyes. Check with your ped.

My eye doctor told me my daughter should be checked around 3 years old, and she doesn't seem to have any problems (I'm blind as a bat!) If you feel that he might have some issues, contact an eye doctor that deals with a lot of kids. Your ped. might be able to recommend someone, but I'd get it checked out. Never hurts to have someone say he's fine & put your own stress to rest! and Congrats on expecting!

I have a child who wears corrective lenses and I found out he needed them by reading his behaior and body language. At 4 my son began to show signs of a vision problem. It got worse as time went on. He had trouble seeing things right in front of him and always grew frustrated and impatient when looking at books or constructing puzzles. He rubbed his eyes a lot and told me he couldn't do the 24 piece puzzles I bought him. When I asked him why he said he couldn't see it. I found a great childrens eye doctor and had him evaluated. If you child is still really young and showing signs of a vision problem, don't wait until he's older. Find an eye doctor who specializes in infants and children. Look for one in your area or ask your pediatrician. My son has been waering his glasses for 2 yrs now and I have not had anymore issues with his vision. He is excelling in school and can do any puzzle he wants now!!!

I recently was at the eye doctor myself and they had a pamplet that they are encouraging children to have their first exam around 12 months. If you are suspecting something is going on, then I would consult your ped and get a referral, if they don't feel it is necessary, then find an optometrist that will do it with out one, but follow you gutt and get one done.

My daughter had an eye exam around 12 months because she had torticollis and we needed to rule out a vision problem as the cause. They took her (us) in a darkened room and while I held her, he used lights on the opposite wall and a moving stuffed animal to move her attention at the back wall, while he looked in her eyes etc. They also dialated her pupils. So, even though they cannot answer questions or express their recognition of objects or letters, there are ways to check their eyes.

If you are in the Albuquerque area, there is a pediatric optometrist in Abq, Dr Todd Goldblum who I have repeated heard is the best. The doctor I went to in Rio Rancho was fabulous and had top of the line equiptment, Dr Planitz (sp?) The latter is a female, not sure if that would matter to your son, I know some little ones respond quicker and bond quicker with females than males, just my experience.

Good luck!

My daughter is 1 year old and has had her eyes checked. She started doing some funky things, crossing them never focusing. We had her eyes checked at six months. On the recommendation from her pediatrician. She now has worn glasses for the last six months. We're having her twin sister's eyes checked for the same problem this month. I think if you have concerns ask your child's doctor or call an opthamologist and ask their opinion.

Hi L.~
I run a daycare in my home and one of my daycare babies is two years old. She just recently went to the eye doctors and they gave her glasses. I am not sure exactly how they detemine the need but there is a world of improvemrnt since she got them. So i would find a doctor you trust and get him in as soon as possible!

From what you are describing (your child rubs his eyes, squints) and hereditary issues, he needs to be checked. Just see an eye doctor as soon as you can.

My daughter's first vision screening was at 4 years old. They found out she has mild amblyopia , which is quite common, and can be corrected if caught early. The last optometrist I went to for her said that his office has started offering free examinations for kids under one year old so any problems are caught early. You might want to get a referral from your pediatrician so that you see someone who is experienced in dealing specifically with children. Even though young kids cannot read yet, there are still many ways for optometrists to test their eyes. I would get it checked out as soon as possible. Good Luck with it!

My son was born 14 weeks premature so he had to have his vision tested. They dialate their eyes and look in them to be sure they are healthy and developing properly. If you think he maybe having some vision problems I would say to go see your pediatrician and get a referral to an optamologist. They will be able to check your sons eyes and get him some glasses if he needs them.

My son's eyes were checked early on (in the NICU and at 6 months old) due to his prematurity. He was fine. If I started to notice something like you are describing I'd call his Ped or just schedule a check up at a Opthamologist. We saw Dr. Joseph Miller (http://www.eyes.arizona.edu/ForPatients/Faculty/Miller/Mi...)