Why Family Vision Centers?

July 9, 2012 sarah Fitness

Pediatric optometrist

Mothers and fathers have many good reasons to understand vision care for their children, especially with many young boys and girls starting to read and learn at a very young age. Questions include: How soon must I begin getting my child’s vision tested? How exactly does one check the visual acuity of a youngster who doesn’t yet read? Can weak eyesight hinder a child from learning at a normal pace ?

Your regular eye doctor is not always the person to ask. Numerous eye doctors specialise in unique areas. An office calling itself a family vision center is usually staffed with a wide range of eye doctors and experts who can help you and your family members during pretty much all stages of life.

So what exactly are a few of the early examinations which may be performed?

The routine eye examination is usually a typical component of the physical given to infants and young children by their neonatologist or pediatrician. Your child would be screened at birth for any congenital conditions. Though these health problems are usually rare, a diagnosis is crucial for your baby’s proper sight and eye development.

At the age of six months, a pediatric eye doctor will examine for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, eye movement ability, appropriate eye alignment reaction to variations in light and darkness (red papillary light reflex), as well as any typical vision health issues. An irregular light reflex may be a symptom of abnormalities inside the structure of the eye. These might include cataracts (clouding of the lens), how well the eye focuses light, or perhaps tumors. At any time, if problems are uncovered during the examination, the child will in most cases be referred to the pediatric ophthalmologist, who focuses primarily on diagnosing as well as treating eye conditions in children. Early diagnosis of childhood eye disease is essential to successful treatment.

For children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, the eye doctor would perform a physical examination of the eyes. The doctor will also conduct vision screenings utilizing eye chart exams, pictures, letters, or possibly the “tumbling E game” to evaluate the child’s visual acuity, or ability to see form and detail of objects. The “tumbling E game,” otherwise known as the “Random E’s Visual Acuity Test,” is useful in analyzing visual acuity for children who can’t yet read. The child is going to be asked to identify the direction that the letter “E” opens to by holding out 4 fingers to mimic the letter “E.”

All children really should be screened for amblyopia prior to their fifth birthday. Amblyopia is a problem in which one eye sees poorly and is frequently effectively treated with the help of eyeglasses, patching, drops, or surgery dependant upon the cause of the problem.