When Should Children Have an Eye Exam?

An eye exam is an essential part of maintaining the health of your eyes. Some eye conditions show no symptoms at all in the early stages, which is why you need an eye doctor who is qualified in this field to do a thorough examination for you. He can then determine whether your eyes are healthy or whether they are showing signs of a condition that requires treatment.

It is recommended by most eye care professionals that everyone should have a complete eye exam every one to three years. This is dependent upon the health of the individual, their age and whether they wear glasses or contact lenses.

It has been found that children who suffer from eye problems often do not do as well in school as their peers who have no eye problems whatsoever. Regular eye examinations are essential to uncover any vision problems that may impede the student's ability to learn.

According to experts, approximately 80 to 90 percent of the information that children are taught in their classrooms is presented to them in a visual manner. Therefore not being able to see what is taking place at the front of the classroom clearly or not being able to read what is written on the blackboard can mean that the child will struggle more to comprehend the subject matter and will score lower on tests and papers.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that children should be taken to the eye doctor to have their very first eye exam around the age of six months. After that another exam is needed around the age of three and then another when the child enters schools.

Children who exhibit no risk factors should have their eyes checked every two years until they turn 18 years of age. At that time the eye specialist will let them know how often they should schedule their examinations.

On the other hand, children who show risk factors connected to their eyesight may require their first exam to take place before they are six months old. As well these children may require more frequent exams of their eyes as they develop and grow.

Some examples of common risk factors that need to be taken into consideration include a baby that was born prematurely or had a low weight at birth, a mother who was infected by a disease while she was pregnant (such as a STD, rubella or AIDS), development delays, or eye disease that runs in a family. Other common risk factors include eyes that are turned or crossed (known as strabismus), high refractive error or anisometropia (unequal refractive power), or any other kind of physical disease or illness. As well all children that wear corrective lenses need to have their eyes checked annually.

It is an unfortunate reality that many children throughout the United States do not receive the vision care that they require to have healthy eyes. It is children who grow up in poverty ridden families who are the most likely to not be taken to see eye specialists and to go without eye exams during their formative years. These are also the children that run the highest risk of having problems with their eyesight and having these problems remain undetected and therefore worsen over time.