When should kids get their first eye exam?

[CatholicMom]

The American Optometric Association recommends at 6 months. :001_huh: But I'm pretty darn sure that isn't the norm and their vision is still developing at that point.

 

What say you?

 

I just got my 3rd and 4th graders' eyes examined for the first time. Only a couple years ago when my 3rd grader was 5 my pediatrician said that it was a bit early to get an actual exam, though he did the E sign thing. But now (not even 3 yrs later) the eye doc said my 3rd grader was in pretty serious need of glasses, so I wonder if I should have taken him sooner.

[athena1277]

We didn't take dd until we discovered her lazy eye at 5yo. It was very, very bad by that time. I wish we had taken her sooner. As a result, we took ds at 10 months and discovered he was very (beyond normal baby) far-sighted. He has worn glasses since just past his first birthday. It would not be a bad idea to take a toddler or preschooler for an eye exam.

[GoVanGogh]

I had them done that early because we have family history of eye problems.

:iagree:

My child was on a ventilator at birth and we were told this put him at higher risk for eye problems, so he would need eye exams from a very young age. By the time he was five, he had probably had a dozen eye exams, so my sense of 'norm' is warped.

If he hadn't been on a vent, I still would have had him in for an eye exam from a young age. Six months? I don't know. But I needed glasses at four, so I wouldn't have waited even that long to take DS in the first time. I probably would have taken him in around two or three so he was comfortable with eye exams and we had developed a relationship with the pediatric eye doctor.

[brett_ashley]

Yes I would get an eye exam in the first year. They're not "checking prescription" as much as they are looking for excessive strabismus, muscle weakness, and even fatal things like retinoblastoma (but has a very high cure rate if it's caught in time). Pediatricians don't have the equipment or training to make these diagnoses.

[PeacefulChaos]

I have no idea what the 'norm' is, but I just took my boys for the first time (ages 8 and 6) and he said he just wants to see them again when they are each 9.

I am really nearsighted and he said that age (9 - which is when I got bifocals) tends to be when they'll make a turn for it if they do at all. Whether that's just based on my history or on something else, I'm not sure. :) So I'll take Link again next year, and Astro in 3 - by then I'll probably take Pink for one, too.

 

I don't see any reason why I would have taken my kids in sooner - that's just me, though, YMMV - because, despite my history, they hadn't shown any signs of any vision problems. If they had, we would have gone sooner.

[catz]

Both my kids need glasses at incoming 3rd graders. My daughter just got her new glasses yesterday! :001_smile:

 

I think it takes longer for homeschooled kids to notice they need glasses because they don't have to see a white board from across a crowded room. They say prescriptions can change fast at that age too. I probably could have gotten my kids glasses maybe a year sooner, but they seem none the worse for wear. And they were passing their eye exams at well child checks up to that point.

 

I know for me, I got glasses as a young first grader and the next time I went in I didn't need them. So I question whether I really even needed glasses then. I was only dxed w/slight astigmatism at that time. My kids actually have my husband's near sightedness.

[stripe]

The pediatrician/family doctor is supposed to be checking their eyes at exams.

 

I, however, had a child whose eye problem was not observed by the pediatrician. I had been thinking of an eye exam around age 5 or 6. Anyway, as a result, I took my other kids in. I got my youngest an eye exam at 12 months. I took them to a place that is used to dealing with small children. I will be returning in 2 years. The doctors seem to contradict themselves and each other about whether it can be discovered early.

[gardenmom5]

I don't mess around with eyes. you can ask me why sometime.

 

first eye exam by a qualified pediatric eye dr (either an OD or opthlal whose speciality is pediatrics!) is before first birthday. (eta: NOT a pediatrician. not their speciality and it's only very cursory.)

[happypamama]

I took my DD for the first time at about 6, and then I took her again at 8, when I also took DS1, then age 5. I have always had excellent vision, but my husband, his sister, and all of our parents have had glasses for years, some of them as children, so I figured I should have a real eye doctor look at them since I don't know what to look for. (Fwiw, our family doctor has not checked their eyes, though I suppose she would if I asked.)

[MrsMommy]

I took my middle DD when she was three, because I noticed she was having problems. I took everyone else after I got her glasses...they were 7, 6, and almost five at the time, I think? Since the oldest also ended up needing glasses, I wish I had done it sooner...I'm thinking by reading age, if not before. Of course, I also needed glasses at age four, so I guess it should have been obvious to me that early eye visits are a good idea!

[frugalmama]

I took dd for her first when she was nearly one. It was a free check done by a national institute for babies under one - you might google for information.

 

I've very glad we did - I learned she has EXTREMELY light sensitive eyes and needed to wear sunglasses at all times when outside. The doctor had never seen anyone with eyes that light sensitive before and said that bright sunlight for long periods of time could basically blind dd unless she wore eye protection.

 

For the record, I started wearing glasses about age 4 and my vision has consistently gotten worse every year.

[Dory]

I took each of my kids for their first check up when they were 4 and then every year after that. Which reminds me that I need to make some appointments again. I'm glad I did, my oldest ds has a lazy eye and we were able to get on top of it pretty early. He rarely wears glasses now. Both my other two are good thus far.

[Mommyof4ks]

My youngest had his checked at 3, but he had medical issues. My other kids got exams at 5, because dh needed glasses early in life, so I wanted to get them checked. Thankfully they got my eyes. :)

[stripe]

I took dd for her first when she was nearly one. It was a free check done by a national institute for babies under one - you might google for information.

http://www.infantsee.org/

 

InfantSEE®, a public health program, managed by Optometry Cares® - The AOA Foundation, is designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. Under this program, AOA optometrists provide a comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants within the first year of life regardless of a family's income or access to insurance coverage.

[Stayseeliz]

I think kids should get them at 4 or 5 at the latest. I took my 6yo in after she mentioned her right eye was blurry. Turns out she had a severe case of amblyopia and was almost legally blind in her right eye. There were no signs other than very occasional squinting. I wish I had taken her sooner. I took my then two year old in and she was diagnosed with the same thing but it wasn't as severe. Our optometrist wants to see my toddler at two.

[kalanamak]

I watched his visual responses to things near and far like a hawk, and no worries at all, so I waited until his 5th birthday. I also had his hearing checked. These were not paid for by insurance, so I paid.

 

Then, when kiddo covered his left eye to read when he was just 6, I took him to a developmental lady, and she said he just needed readers for the smaller print for another year or two. She was right.

 

(BTW, I have to tell this story again. I'd taught kiddo the sounds of the letters, not the names. He paused when he was shown a row of letters, and instead of reading A P E F C L, he exclaimed "APE-/f/-/cl/. What's APE-/f/-/cl/?" The optometrist said in 35 years of work she'd never had a kid do that. I told her I was just doing what Ruth Beechick told me to. :lol:)

[TechWife]

I don't think there is any specific age. We took our son for an eye checkup when he was 6 because he was squinting all of the time. He has had regular well checks w/our pediatrician & in the early months/years the pediatrician looked at his eyes very carefully. If there had been a problem with an eye disease or inappropriate development, it is likely he would have picked up on it then. He know goes once a year for a checkup w/a pediatric ophthalmologist & gets new glasses as needed.

[In the Rain]

Our ped. had the girls cover one eye and look at a chart across the room from the time they were 3 or so. They had their first official eye exams at 4 and 6.

[Jann in TX]

My middle dd was a preemie. The Dr 'checked' her eyes at every appointment. She attended Pre-K and the school nurse also screened vision. They said 'no problems'. This kid was reading early (installing her own computer software at age 3!).

 

DH took her by the optometrist when she was 5 (Dr suggested at his yearly exam that he bring the kids in). We were SHOCKED to find out that she was legally blind! She was amazed to discover what a leaf on a tree looked like!

 

I felt like I deserved the 'Worst Mommy Award'.

 

Youngest dd wore glasses for about 6 months to correct an eye problem caught at age 5--if not caught early she would have had glasses permanently.

[Crimson Wife]

Both DH and I had amblyopia so I took mine in to see a pediatric ophthalmologist when they were around 15 months old. DS passed his exam every year until he was 5 1/2. He had developed amblyopia and needed glasses & a year of patching. Oldest DD passed her exam every year until she was 7, when it was discovered that she had astigmatism & needed glasses. I wouldn't be surprised if youngest DD starts needing glasses once she hits elementary school age.

[gardenmom5]

He has had regular well checks w/our pediatrician & in the early months/years the pediatrician looked at his eyes very carefully. If there had been a problem with an eye disease or inappropriate development, it is likely he would have picked up on it then. .

not necessarily. my mother expressed concern to the ped she took me to, and was told several times there wasn't anything to worry about. I did not see an opthlal until I was four. I will NEVER have normal vision because of that delay because the ped said it wasn't a big deal.

[swellmomma]

My kids had basic vision testing as infants and toddlers at both immunization appts with the health nurse and at well child visits with the ped. They all start proper eye exams at the optometrist at age 3.

[GoVanGogh]

If there had been a problem with an eye disease or inappropriate development, it is likely he would have picked up on it then.

Our pediatric ophthalmologist is opposed to eye exams by pediatricians and those done in the school system, as he says they give parents a false sense of security. We were a good example of that.

We were taking our preemie to an optometrist and was always told his vision was fine. (Pediatrician also said his vision was fine.) Our optometrist and pediatrician both missed something very crucial to DS's eye development. DS ended up needing surgery to correct. I still beat myself up that I didn't trust my gut instinct and thought pediatrician and optometrist were right that DS's eyes were fine.

[stripe]

not necessarily. my mother expressed concern to the ped she took me to, and was told several times there wasn't anything to worry about. I did not see an opthlal until I was four. I will NEVER have normal vision because of that delay because the ped said it wasn't a big deal.

 

Yep. Or when you call to ask the nurse a question based on a concern someone else has that the parent doesn't seem and are told just bring the child in in three or four months, at the well child exam.

[prairiewindmomma]

We take them before they turn one.

 

We have been burned by otherwise good doctors....pediatrician and optometrist (opthamologist was booked up) missed my daughter's brain tumor that first presented as 6th cranial nerve palsy....they thought it was amblyopia before the eye became fixated in.

 

My pediatrician missed congenital 4th cranial nerve palsy in two of my other kids. I could see it as she was doing the exam because I knew what to look for, but she's not done a lot of neuro stuff. She also missed ds's blip at midline while tracking. (She took it as "typical misbehavior" of a 5 year old...I knew the look away was a dodge.)

 

I no longer will take my family to an optometrist (unless they are COVD)....We go straight to the ped opthamologist. We do annual exams on everyone as well. It's covered under the medical portion of our insurance because it's eye health, and not vision.

[stripe]

We take them before they turn one.

 

We have been burned by otherwise good doctors....pediatrician and optometrist (opthamologist was booked up) missed my daughter's brain tumor that first presented as 6th cranial nerve palsy....they thought it was amblyopia before the eye became fixated in.

 

:grouphug: That is so awful.

[tabrizia]

I took all three in around 6 months and yearly after that. I don't trust a pediatrician to check eyes it isn't their speciality. I figure eye health is just as important as all other health issues so we go early. Fortunately none of mIne have issues yet, not even DS and he could have had bad issues after his fall.

[razorbackmama]

My eye doctor gives a free exam to babies under a year. It's not to check for VISION as much as tracking, etc.

 

All of my eye doctor friends (I have several) say to start taking them for regular check-ups between K and 1st grade. My 5yo is actually already in glasses. - got them when she was 4. I'm not sure why I started taking her to the eye doctor - I hadn't noticed any problems - but I'm glad I did.