It is never too early to take your child for a pediatric eye exam to ensure their eyes are developing correctly and there are no primary vision health conditions. Most optometrists offer pediatric eye exams and conduct brief screenings to determine your child’s ocular health and visual clarity. Since learning skills and athletic performance depend upon optical clarity, seeing a pediatric doctor of optometry can ensure your child performs well in school and extracurricular activities. The eye doctors at Kilgo Eyecare provide pediatric patients in Asheville with routine comprehensive eye exams.
Why Are Pediatric Eye Exams Important?
Pediatric eye exams are an essential part of your child’s development. When they become school-aged, they may experience trouble seeing homework assignments or have difficulty participating in extracurricular activities. Since a child’s vision can change often and unexpectedly, skipping routine pediatric eye exams can leave vision correction needs missed, which can impair their development, interfere with learning, cause behavioral and attention issues, and may lead to permanent vision loss. Additionally, as your child ages, seeing an optometrist can help create a baseline for their vision health. It can help detect eye diseases early to preserve vision and start treatment immediately.
When Should My Child See an Optometrist?
Many optometrists recommend children have their first eye exam at six months of age to ensure their eyes and vision are developing typically. After the first visit with the eye doctor, children should receive a second exam by the age of two or three. After that, eye exams should be scheduled at the start of every school year.
What to Expect During Your Child’s First Eye Exam
Meeting your child’s eye doctor for the first time provides the perfect opportunity to get any questions you have answered. Additionally, you should be prepared to answer questions about your child’s birth history, birth weight, and if there were any complications. The optometrist will also ask questions about a family history of ocular disease and your child’s medical record, including medications and allergies.
During this appointment, let the doctor of optometry know if your child has experienced excessive blinking, trouble maintaining eye contact, or poor tracking skills. Also, if your child has been rubbing their eyes excessively, let the eye doctor know so they can check for any eye health conditions.
Schedule an Appointment with Our Optometrists
Do not wait to get your child in for a pediatric eye exam and call today to start your child’s visual health screenings. Our eye doctors at Kilgo Eyecare provide pediatric eye exams and screenings for patients in the Asheville area and are ready to see your child. Call us today at (828) 676-3260 to schedule an appointment and to learn more about pediatric eye exams.
