Pediatric Eye Care

Healthy vision is one of the most important components of your child’s wellness.

Vision develops rapidly starting at birth and is tied to many developmental milestones, such as hand-eye coordination and reading. In the long term, your child’s vision will impact how they learn, play, and interact with the world.

While there may be some obvious signs of visual disorders, many vision problems can only be detected by a qualified eye doctor during a comprehensive eye exam.

Schedule an appointment at Southglenn Eyecare, and give your child the gift of clear vision.

It is not always easy to spot vision problems in kids.

Some symptoms are more obvious, like squinting or holding reading materials very close. But often the early signs are subtle and can even be misdiagnosed.

Your child may be experiencing a vision problem if he or she does any of the following:

• Avoids reading and close-up work like coloring or doing puzzles
• Seems to work slow or not understand the task
• Complains of fatigue or headaches
• Has a short attention span or seems distracted
• Covers one eye or tilts head when focusing on something
• Shows sensitivity to light
• Exhibits difficulty with coordination

Vision can be affected by many things, including the shape of the eyeball, how the eyes and brain work together, and by other diseases or medical conditions. The good news is that many eye disorders can be successfully identified and treated.

The most common eye disorders are caused by the shape and alignment of the eyes, including:

• Strabismus – When the eyes do not align properly. This is often referred to as “crossed eyes.”
• Amblyopia – Poor vision in one eye, and is sometimes referred to as “lazy eye.” It usually occurs before the age of eight. Infants born prematurely or with low birth weight are at greater risk.

Refractive errors cause blurry images due to the shape of the eyeball or lens. These common conditions are easily treated with glasses or contact lenses. There are three types of refractive errors:

• Myopia, or nearsightedness, is good close vision but poor distance vision.
• Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is poor up-close vision. Distant objects can easily be seen.
• Astigmatism  is imperfect vision at any distance.

Routine eye exams are a crucial part of your child’s well being and readiness for learning. Many parents do not know that school screenings are not the same as eye exams. Even with 20/20 vision, your child can still have problems that only an eye doctor can detect.

Newborns have their eyes checked before leaving the hospital. And leading medical organizations recommend comprehensive eye exams for health, vision development, and alignment at these ages:

• Between 6 and 12 months
• 3 years of age
• Every other year throughout the school years