When Should you Schedule An Eye Exam for a Kid
The very first doctor to examine your child will be the pediatrician present during the birth. Looking at your child’s eyes is a part of the pediatrician’s routine when examining a newborn. During this initial exam, or any physical check up, the pediatrician may make a referral to an optometrist or ophthalmologist if they suspect something is wrong. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can help with further assessments because optometrists or ophthalmologists are specially trained and have sophisticated examination tools that will allow for easier identification and diagnosing any vision or eyesight issues.
As a parent when making an appointment with your eye doctor you should choose best time of day that will yield the best results. Ask yourself, what time of the day is your child the most alert? What time of the day are is your kid the most co-operative? What will actually occur during your child’s eye examination will largely depend on the age of your kid. Most of the time, as the parent you will be asked for a health history, a vision test will be conducted where it might be decided that eyeglasses are necessary. Other tests that might be performed include eye alignment, an eye health exam and a of course our Northeast Philadelphia optometrist will discuss with your the results of this exam.
After you’ve made the appointment, you may be sent a case history form by mail, or you may be given one when you check in at the doctor’s office. The case history form will ask about your child’s birth history (also called perinatal history), such as birth weight and whether or not the child was full-term. Your eye doctor also may ask whether complications occurred during the pregnancy or delivery. The form will also inquire about your child’s medical history, including current medications and past or present allergies.
When your optometrist asks about your child’s vision history have your eye doctor take note or any prematurity or staggered development. Also mention any eye rubbing, excessive blinking, or even difficult keeping eye contact with other people. When going about your daily life take note of how your child uses his or hers eyes. to they star while looking at an object? Do their eyes track objects as the object move around? If you have ever noticed any of these issues mention them at the beginning of the examination
Other points to discuss with the optometrist is any other vision or ocular treatment they may have previously received. Additionally, mention any family history of of troubled eyesight like nearsightedness or farsightedness, misaligned eyes (strabismus) or amblyopia (“lazy eye”).