At what age should I have my child’s eyes checked?
According to Nathalie Voide, a doctor in the paediatric strabology and ophthalmology unit at the Jules-Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital, there is no specific age at which you must have your child’s eyes checked. However, you must carry out a check-up as soon as you have any concerns about their vision. In order to assess the health of the eyes, the first visit can be carried out between 12 and 18 months.
Parents are sometimes reluctant and worried about an initial visual examination of the young child. They think that they will not be able to correctly participate in the test. This concern is not justified, however, as the medical profession is able to care for all age groups. We adapt the tests according to age.
Even children born prematurely can have their eyes checked. This provides objective measures that help to detect visual problems. So at any age, as soon as there is the slightest doubt, do not hesitate to ask your paediatrician. They will then decide whether or not additional investigations are recommended in order to preserve the child’s visual health.
Why should I have my child’s eyes checked?
When visual diseases are known in the family circle, we advise parents to be particularly vigilant about their children’s eyesight:
- Strong optical corrections
- Congenital glaucoma
- Congenital cataracts
- Strabismus
- Eye tumours
We see these children from a young age to try to screen as quickly as possible for any pathologies they might develop. This is intended to provide suitable care quickly.
How often should my child visit the ophthalmologist?
The frequency of visits depends on the diagnosis made by the ophthalmologist at the first appointment. Without a family history, and if the child does not have eye diseases during the vision test or symptoms, we recommend an appointment every 2-3 years.
A myopic, hyperopic, or astigmatic child will need regular monitoring.
We therefore advise you to be vigilant and monitor your child’s behaviour. Are their eyes red? Do they squint when reading a book? Do they complain of gritty eyes or headaches? Does their colour vision seem to be impaired? Have you recently noticed a degeneration of near vision or far vision?
If in doubt about an eye disorder, do not hesitate to make an appointment and request a screening with an eye care professional.
What visual problems should be corrected from a young age?
As mentioned above, diseases such as congenital glaucoma, cataracts and strabismus should be detected and corrected quickly.
Myopia, astigmatism, amblyopia or hyperopia are common vision problems. Wearing glasses will correct the visual anomaly to prevent these eye diseases from worsening. Diagnosing these visual problems from a young age allows the child, in some cases, to regain perfect visual acuity.