Have your kids seen an eye doctor?

[GoVanGogh]

They check at the pediatrician. Is there some reason kids with seemingly good vision who pass the screening at the pediatrician should see an eye doctor?

I was posting at the same time as you.

Yes!

The major eye conditions that affect children cannot be detected at a pediatrician's office - or even at an optometrist.

If a child has a severe case of, say, cross eye - it is noticeable. But children can have mild cases that are not noticeable w/o advanced screening/testing.

 

I was posting a bit about my son's case, but for more info: He was reading at a very young age, but never progressed. He could read the words individually but could not read a line of text. His eyes popped all over the page.

We spent more than a year taking him to different doctors and they always said the same thing, "He is young. Give him time."

No one suggested that it could be a vision problem because he passed all of his screenings. We finally ended up at a pediatric ophthalmologist and found out that DS's eyes were very slightly out of alignment and were not working together. Both the pediatrician and optometrist should have informed us that they were not screening for anything more than routine vision - both even admitted that to us after the fact. They spent more than a year telling me my son's vision was perfect, when they knew they weren't fully testing it! We wasted so much time and money going down the wrong path, trying to find out what was wrong with son's reading, when it was his vision.

He had eye surgery four years ago but we are still dealing with development issues that were delayed because of his vision.

I just think relying on either one for children's vision screens can give parents a false sense of security.

[Sasharowan]

Oldest saw the eye dr in second grade when his reading fluency dropped when moving to smaller text size. Yup, needed glasses, has progressed from glasses for just reading to glasses all day now. Dd saw the eye dr. around 3rd grade just because. She had 20/13 vision and brothers call her hawkeye now. Lol.

[luvnlattes]

I voted other. My oldest went to the eye doctor around the age of 5 because he kept complaining that his eyes were bothering him. Middle son went around age 7 based on the pediatrician's recommendation. He wore glasses for a couple of years to correct a problem he was having, but now he is "glasses-free." Youngest son has never been to the eye doctor.

[Penny_P]

It actually never occurred to me. They both pass the screenings at school and peds office. We don't have a vision plan. Interesting thread.

[elise1mds]

I voted 'other.' DD has never seen the ophthalmologist, but DS started seeing one at the age of 2 for strabismus. He had to have surgery to correct it. We go back annually.

[FaithManor]

I had undiagnosed eye problems for some of elementary school, though despite this, I managed to keep good grades. As a result, I never wanted to leave it to chance. Our kids had their first eye exam in kindergarten and since then every two years. DD ended up with glasses in the 4th grade so we have taken her every year since then. Of course, now at 20, she makes those decisions for herself.

 

Dh and I go about every three years. Though, at 43, I think my astigmatism is getting worse and I need to go again though it has only been two years. GRRRRRRR....

 

Faith

[SKL]

I did not vote because it's different for each of my two kids. (They are not biologically related, so they will not have the same vision issues.)

 

My oldest has vision/reading problems in her background and I noticed a few things that concerned me when she was a tot. I took her to an ophthalmologist at age 2.5 and strong glasses were prescribed. A year later she still had unresolved issues, so I took her to a developmental optometrist, and vision therapy was prescribed (in addition to the glasses). She goes back to the developmental optometrist periodically (she just turned 5).

 

My youngest has no symptoms of eye problems and at age 4 is reading at a very advanced level. So I have not taken her to an eye doctor. She did have a vision screening at the ped at age 3, and did fine on it.

[Stratford]

DS#1 started going when he was under 2 as his eyes started crossing (accomodative esotropia due to being far-sighted.) He is still in glasses and per the ophthalmologist, he will always need them. We've had DS#2 and 3 checked at a year old and every other year. So far they are fine.

[bluemongoose]

Voted other.

 

DS was taken in at the age of 2 because the Pedi was convinced he had a lazy eye. We were not, but we went anyway and had DD (4yo at the time) also checked while we were there. They were both fine. (for many reasons we ended up changing pedis and the eye dr after this)

 

Fast forward...DD started acting a bit weird about seeing things just before her 6th bday. At the 6yo pedi well visit we asked for an eye exam. They do it every 2 years, and it was the year off so I had to ask. She failed it very badly, so badly they thought I was pulling their leg about her being able to read and knowing the letters on the chart. We made another appointment for DD at a new eye dr, and sure enough she really badly needed glasses. She now has to go every year while she is still growing a lot each year.

 

DS (almost 5yo now) is also showing signs of needing a visit. Younger DS has never been, he's almost 3yo. And baby DS is not yet born... so he has not had a visit yet either:lol:.

 

DH got glasses as a young child, I still have perfect vision and do not need them.

[Guest]

I normally try to avoid voting "other", but I had to on this one. I have three children and they are at different ages. All three went at the same time period. I needed the option of picking more than one choice.

[wapiti]

All my kids have been checked at 5 or younger. My older three by the ped opthamologist (who missed dd's tracking problem). Five of the six have had regular vision checkups with the developmental optometrist, which we now do annually for the school-age ones. One has had VT (for tracking issues) and now we are at it again a few years later (for focusing issues) with a different doc.

 

At our ped, the vision check isn't going to find much of anything unless a kid's distance vision is really going - it involves standing so many feet away from an eye chart. There is no near-vision testing at all. And, of course, that can't catch a lot of other vision problems either.

[Hwin]

Eye exams are actually a "soap box" issue of mine.

My child passed every single eye exam at both the optometrist and pediatrician. I had no idea that optometrists do not even have the equipment to check for the major eye conditions that affect young children! (Cross eye, strabismus, etc.) I would never again rely on either one for eye exams. I personally think anyone that does is being foolish, but - again - just my soap box issue.

 

Thanks to someone else on a soapbox ;) we started taking our son early, and to an ophthalmologist who has a good reputation with children. It gave us a good baseline, and he now wears glasses due to nearsightedness. Even better, it gave ME a doctor I trust, and she caught my double vision issues quickly.

[Miss Marple]

I had to go with the Stig because none of the others fit - well, "other" would have but it wouldn't have been as much fun :)

 

Two of my boys were squinters. I had them in to see the eye doctor and he said that they needed such small correction that he didn't think wearing glasses would be worth it. Once they hit high school/college, they asked for the "small correction". They love having glasses/contacts. The difference, while small on the chart, was large in their head :). Interestingly, both boys are red/green color blind. My other two boys have no eye problems.

 

We had several of the boys in during their very young years (4-8) because of injuries. While they were seen, they didn't have a complete work up.

[Tap]

The older kids had an eye exam by an eye doctor by 3rd grade.

 

DD5 had one before she was 2.

 

I plan to have all the kids in again this year.

 

Dh has needed correction since his teens, I do not wear glasses yet at 40 for everyday reading, but I read a lot of very, very fine print at work and I am on the edge of needing it for that. My vision is still in the 20/low 20 range. The kids do not need any correction yet.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap

[mamatohaleybug]

I voted for Yes, around kindergarten to first grade age or younger but that's a 5 - 6 year age range so it seems not quite precise. :D My DD was 1 year old the first time she saw an eye doctor. She's worn glasses since she was 20 months old.

[mom31257]

I voted other because one goes and one has never been. My dd started showing signs of needing glasses while in 1st grade (headaches and couldn't see things well). Ds sees very well close up and from a distance, so I've never taken him. His reading is well above grade level, so I don't see any problem that would necessitate me taking him.

[ScoutTN]

A basic eye exam is part of our kids' annual check-ups. if we notice a problem, we'll go past that, but so far no problems.

[Daisy]

We take them to the eye doctor every two years and started when they were in 1st grade.

 

Dh and I wear glasses. Dh is pretty terrible eyesight and we hope to catch it early in our children.

[prairiewindmomma]

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Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[tabrizia]

I voted for Yes, around kindergarten to first grade age or younger but that's a 5 - 6 year age range so it seems not quite precise.

 

:iagree: Mine have all been and go yearly. DS1 went for the first time at 14 months, DD went for the first time at 4 months, since that was when we were doing DS1's annual exam anyways, and DS2 just went at 7 months. I have really bad vision, I've had glasses since I was 18 months old, and they knew there was an issue since I was 12 months old or so. We take a very proactive approach to eye care with all three of the children because of that. We already know that DS1 will end up in glasses, probably within the next 2 to 3 years.

[violingirl]

We start taking them every year at age 5. I got glasses at age 9 and DH got them at age 10, so that's a factor, but the biggest factor is that my MIL died of a rare occular cancer and while there may not be genetic factors the cancer is so rare that there hasn't been enough research to tell either way. So we're going on the safe side and having them checked more frequently.

[Mommie_Jen]

I was going to take my oldest when he turned 5, but about the time he turned 4 he started going cross eyed a lot. Off we went, and he now (at almost 5) has had glasses since August. And we are in the eye dr office about 3-4 times a month to have them adjusted. They swear it's jut the age, but he is ALWAYS bending them somehow!

[TravelingChris]

I took all of my kids in before they were 5. I think we were especially vigilant because one of my dh's brothers lost vision in one eye at around age 3 and my father ended up with one normal vision eye and one eye with very bad vision and that was a problem that could have been solved by early eye check-ups. Also, when the kids were little, only I had glasses in the gfamil for myopia and astigmatism. A few years ago, dh also developed myopia so now both parents have it. Oldest had no eye problems. Middle was a different story.

 

I knew she had some type of vision problem but the eye doctors weren't finding it. I first recognized the problem by her repeatedly smacking into corners. When she learned to read she was fine with books with larger print and more space but not with books with smaller type even if the words were easier. By that time, I was very concerned. I started calling around opthalmalogist offices to see if they did testing that could possibly uncover what type of vision problem she had. I found an opthalmologist who specialized in eye movements. He tested her in a different way and determined she had a bad convergence problem and was seeing everything fairly close double. That was why she was bumping into corners until she was older and could figure out how to determine where the real corner was. She was given prisms to work with at home, and given a prescription for glasses. She did the therapy for somewhere between a half year and a year and wore glasses for about three years. She doesn't wear glasses today and only has problems with double vision only if she is very tired.

 

My youngest also had eye exams including a special one at age 5 when she developed arthritis. A few years ago she started wearing glasses and about a year or so ago she had to start wearing progressive lenses. She has very mild myopia at this point but other issues too which necessitate the progressive lenses.

 

Statistically, at least one more of our kids will turn myopic but it may be as late as the early 40's like my dh's.

[Susan in TN]

We're all over the map with eye doctor visits. I have horrible vision. Dh wears glasses, but it's not bad. My oldest wears glasses, my next seems to see fine. My 3rd grader seems to see fine, but I think she may have other vision issues. We need to have her eyes checked out. My 1st grader too.

 

Our former pediatrician always did a basic vision check for Kindergarden check-ups. We're in the process of changing doctors, and I'm not sure what the new office does.

[kolamum]

I didn't vote because:

 

My eldest had his later then the rest. So it would have been a different bracket. He was the one I was most concerned about am still am. It came back with "inconclusive" and they asked us to return again in a few months. We did.. this time he felt there was a problem with my child being able to focus far away and then upclose. I've suspect this for a while because he can't read tiny font in books very well. It just utterly frustrates him. They told us to come back in 3 months. I'm livid and plan to see if ANYONE can fit this child in elsewhere before we're meant to be back at the other place.

 

I'm livid because he said we could do glasses if we wanted or we could not. I said I wanted the glasses. If they could make it better of course I'd do it! Well then he {Dr} backed out saying it might make a different problem and perhaps we should just come back in 3 months. In the mean time my child squints when reading small font and constantly mistakes certain letters.

[Home_s_Cool]

I've only taken my dd14 and ds11 to an eye doctor. Otherwise they are "tested" at their check-ups at the pediatricians. Which never caught the issues we noticed.

 

My dd14 ended up having to patch her eye for a short time to let the other eye's muscles get stronger. She if fine now but sees an eye dr every year.

 

I notices my ds11 kept holding his book too close at times - had him checked - it had more to do with eye fatigue. So we haven't been back for him

[MrsJewelsRae]

My kids have gone once a year since they were 4 yrs old, I was concerned my eldest ds had a problem as he rubs his eyes a lot while reading. He didn't need treatment, just some exercises to strenghteen the muscles used to go cross eyed, we just had him practice with bringing a pen to his nose and he's fine now, tho he still rubs out if habit. I wear glasses but dh has perfect vision. We live un Ontario where eye doctor appointments are covered by our taxes via provincial healthcare for children under 18, although glasses are not covered. My youngest is 3 and will go this summer when the other kids have their yearly check ups. :)

[LisaKinVA]

There is a basic exam done at my pediatrician's office with their well child visit. Additionally, I have noticed "signs" that prompted me to take them to the eye doctor, even though they passed the annual exam (barely).

 

My oldest begged to go to the eye doctor, and had shown no "signs" of needing glasses. His vision was 20-25. I refused to buy him glasses at that point. I did purchase them once his vision hit 20-50. He goes annually now, although I continue to encourage him to do as much as he can without his glasses.

 

My middle daughter was doing sporadic things that made me think glasses might be needed. She has astigmatism, which explains why her not being able to see seemed so sporadic and dramatic (reading her book with me, she'd be reading fine and all of a sudden she's putting her nose to the book to try to decipher something... then moves the book back away...)

 

My other two don't seem to have any issues. I'll probably take them both around 12, even if they don't appear to have anything going on just for a more thorough exam.

[Meriwether]

Yes, a few years ago. We'll do it again but may wait until we move in the spring.

 

ETA: All of my kids will go once they hit 9yrs old as that is when my siblings and I needed glasses. Dh has better than 20/20 vision. We hope they take after him!

[zaichiki]

Multiple answers for multiple kids.

Ds1 was 5th grade age. He should have gone earlier, but we didn't realize it.

Dd1 was 1st grade age.

Ds2 was K/1st age.

[Spock]

I voted other. Two of my children showed signs of needing glasses, so they had their eyes tested (and got glasses). My oldest has excellent vision, and never went to an eye doctor, unless you count the vision test that was part of his medical exam for entering the Navy. (He tested as having better than average vision.) My youngest has no vision problems, and also has never been to an eye doctor.

 

None of them have ever been to a dentist either, and they only go to a doctor when they are sick enough to need something more than rest and over the counter medications.

[Amie]

Love me some Stig.

[Jennifer3141]

We took both kids for an initial screening when they would have entered first grade. So far, so good. :)

 

DH and I are both blind without glasses so we were expecting one kids to need them. We were pleasantly surprised but we'll see what develops.

[mazakaal]

I voted other.

 

Me too. Dd has been to an eye doctor because she was complaining about her eyes. The dr said she had a very mild problem and prescribed very weak glasses which dd never wore. I figured that if her eyes really bothered her, she would wear them. She did get them out this summer when we had a friend staying with us whose dd wore glasses. I'm going to bring her back to get checked again, but I don't think she really needs them. I think she just thinks they're kind of cool. Dss have never had their eyes checked because they've never shown any signs of needing it.

[photomo]

My daughter who is currently 2 years old has had glasses since she was 9 months old. We go 4 times a year.

 

She has optic nerve Hypoplasia.. We just thought she had a lazy eye and it turned out to be more.

 

We go 3 times a year.

[Staceyshoe]

My ds went to an eye dr at age 5. The pediatrician's annual check-up included an eye exam (read the letter kind of thing). We had also noticed that he wasn't seeing signs or able to read the clock from his seat at the table. I printed off an eye chart and did an at-home test which showed his vision to be about 20/50 in both eyes. The eye dr confirmed his eyesight is 20/50.

 

The biggest difference we noticed? He can actually catch a ball now! :) I probably won't take my youngest to the eye dr unless there are similar red flags of some kind of issue.

[BigMamaBird]

We took dd to an eye doctor when she was three because we suspected she had problems. She would get inches from a book, no eye contact, things like that. Turns out she had really, REALLY poor eyesight. My current 3 year old acts perfectly "normal" but because of the severity of dd's eyesight, the Dr. would really like to check him out earlier rather than later, so we'll be going in soon. I didn't see an eye doctor till 5th Grade when I started complaining of blurry vision.

[laundrycrisis]

Our DS1's vision seemed to be great at all of his well-kid checkups so we didn't take him to an optometrist until I took him for the state-mandated optometrist exam that is required sometime during the kindergarten year. He was almost six then. We were not expecting there to be any problems.....and he turned out to have such severe amblyopia that he was legally blind in that eye, meaning that the vision in that eye could not be corrected with a lens enough to even get him onto the vision chart. It had never been caught at the well-kid checkups because they never covered one eye. We felt so stupid for never having thought to make anyone do this or to not have taken him for an eye exam earlier than that.

 

His story is progressing toward a happy ending. The vision in that eye was recovered through aggressive patching. It still needs an extreme prescription, and it has taken almost two years of vision therapy to get both of his eyes working together. Tomorrow he gets his first contact lens for that eye, and this will be a huge step for him...with glasses, his prescription causes a lot of distortion and he has no peripheral vision in that eye. The contact will eliminate those problems. This will be the first time in his life he will have something like normal two-eyed vision. So excited !!!!!

 

When we got his original diagnosis, we immediately had DS2, who was 3 yo then, checked at the new ped for amblyopia with a device involving electrodes on the head and a video to watch. That was normal. He has also already been checked by an optometrist twice although he is only six.

[happypamama]

I took DD when she was 7, and I took both DD and DS1 last fall when they were 8 1/2 and 5 1/2. Of course, I also had DS2 (then 2) along, and HE insisted on an exam too. The eye doctor is really great with the kids and did tests that were appropriate to each of them, and he was happy to take a few minutes to check DS2 as well. (Their insurance does cover eye exams; if it didn't, I'd have waited on DS2.) I have excellent vision (and see the same eye doctor every two years), but DH, DH's sister, two of my siblings, both of my parents, and both of my ILs wear glasses/contacts and have for years, most of them as kids/teens. And without my kids being in a classroom setting, I don't have a basis for comparison (like complaining of not being able to see the board), and I'm clueless as to what to look for, so I prefer to take them to see the eye doctor about once a year.

[mommymilkies]

My 3 yo saw the optometrist lately because she was complaining of vision problems (she's fine). All of my other older kids have been, too.

[peachskittles]

Other, my kids are all different.

 

My oldest has went a few times since he was three I believe.

 

My 4 year old has never showed any problems so we haven't taken him in yet.

 

My 2 year old has been to the eye doctor a lot (for a 2 year old). After his episode when he was younger, one of his eyes looked...weird (doctor agreed with me at about 6months old). It turns in occasionally and we've been monitoring it with the eye doctor. We are taking a break from eye visits and just watching it. It only looks odd to me anymore (eye doctor thinks it self corrected) so maybe it is all better. :confused:

 

The baby hasn't been yet. I'll wait for a bit with her.

[Princess Peach]

My oldest was referred in 3rd grade by his school (at the time) because he failed his vision screening. He goes every year and wears glasses. I haven't brought the other 2 in yet.

[LostSurprise]

I voted Other. We bring them in as needed.

 

DS1 has asked to be examined 2x. The first time was in 1st grade. The second time he was in 3rd grade so we had the 3 oldest examined. All were normal. Those in public school are also checked periodically.

 

DH and I have terrible eyesight (me particularly), and so do almost all our siblings so I'm shocked that we haven't uncovered anything yet. I guess its bad enough that 2 out of 4 (so far) have my bad teeth as well.

 

I should probably take them all back in. DS3 will be in 4th next year.

[missmoe]

Yes, but there is no set age I take them. It mainly depends on our insurance coverage.

 

If I felt there was a problem, I would take them regardless of our coverage of course. So far, we havent' had any problems.