Child Eye Care Services at Spectrum Eye Physicians
People often use the phrase “seeing through the eyes of a child” to describe an uncommonly clear and beautiful view of the world. But a child’s eyes don’t always provide that crystal-clear perspective. Problems related to ocular health, eye function, and visual acuity may interfere with your child’s eyesight, not only in the short term but also in the long term by interfering with the normal course of visual development. This is why little eyes need evaluation (and sometimes treatment) just as adult eyes do — and why we offer child eye care services here at Spectrum Eye Physicians.
The Importance of Child Eye Care
A newborn’s eyesight doesn’t work as well as it will even a few short months later — for the simple reason that the eyes and the brain’s vision center haven’t learned their jobs yet. These two components must figure out how to work together to create what we would consider clear, accurate vision, a process that generally takes up to 6 months. If all goes well, the baby’s eyesight then serves as an essential aid to developing hand-to-eye coordination, physical balance, depth perception, and ability to do school work. Unfortunately, problems can occur along the way to inhibit this development, including:
- Strabismus, a mismatch in eye alignment
- Amblyopia, in which the brain “prefers” one eye’s information over that of the other
- Eye diseases such as congenital cataracts or tumors
- Ptosis (eyelid droop), which can partially obscure vision
- Refractive errors such as nearsightedness or farsightedness
These and other conditions can severely limit your child’s normal learning and visual development, so identifying and addressing them as early as possible is a must.
Scheduling Critical Child Eye Exams
The American Optometric Association notes three critical points for scheduling child eye exams early in life. The first comes at the age of 6 months. Even though we can’t communicate with your baby, we can examine the eyes for any signs of health problems or functional abnormalities. The second exam at age 3 gives us the added advantage of being able to ask your child what he’s seeing, giving us a clearer understanding of his eye function and visual acuity. By age 6, it’s time for a third exam that includes extensive vision testing. By catching and correction refractive errors at this stage, we can make sure your child is ready to enter school with sharp, clear vision.
Spectrum Eye Physicians can continue to provide necessary eye care throughout childhood. Regular eye and vision exams can help us catch any new vision issues that appear and update a current corrective lens prescription as needed. We’re also on hand to provide primary care for eye infections, injuries, or other discomforts that may occur.
Contact Spectrum Eye Physicians Today!
Schedule your appointment online or call us at 408-884-2215. No matter which of our locations you visit, you will receive the latest in eye care technology from friendly eye doctors and staff committed to serving you.
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