What Kind of Pediatric Eye Doctor Should My Child See?

Vision problems are very common in children. That’s why monitoring your child’s visual acuity is an essential part of ensuring their vision fully supports their living and learning needs. As your child grows, it’s vital to turn to a pediatric eye doctor to assess and monitor your child’s eye health.

If your child is experiencing an eye issue, it’s worth it to see a pediatric eye doctor versus a standard eye doctor, as pediatric eye doctors are more prepared to assess a child’s eye, identify eye problems, and take the best course of action to address, treat and/or correct a child’s vision condition.

When Should My Child First See a Pediatric Eye Doctor?

While an eye examination takes place with your child in the hospital right after they’re born, it’s typically recommended that they see a pediatric eye doctor for their first checkup between six and nine months of age. Following that, regular eye exams with a pediatric ophthalmologist should be conducted around three years of age, and then every year while they’re in school.

• While eye exams are offered at school and during pediatrician appointments, these aren’t capable of fully assessing a child’s vision and fail to properly catch or identify a vast array of possible eye issues and conditions.
• These eye exams are not complete vision assessments. While they can be helpful to some extent, they usually miss many serious vision problems that a pediatric eye doctor is trained to quickly detect.

Studies have shown more than 10 percent of children who pass school or pediatrician screenings actually need treatment for a visual condition. As 80% of your child’s ability to learn comes directly from their vision, the importance of an annual eye exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist is essential to their continued development.

Choosing an Eye Doctor for Your Child

When it’s time for your child to get their eyes examined, it’s important to know which type of eye doctor is best for their specific situation. To help make the decision a bit easier, here’s a look at the three main types of eye care professionals and what they specialize in.

An Orthoptist
Orthoptists are eye care professionals who work with you to manage a broad range of vision problems. They’re involved in the management of eye diseases, like lazy eye, eye alignment and macular degeneration. Often, orthoptists will work alongside ophthalmologists to assess and manage a child’s eye condition(s).

An Ophthalmologist
These eye care specialists are known as doctors of the eye, and they’re who you’ll see if your child is diagnosed with an eye problem.

Ophthalmologists graduate from medical school and are licensed to practice medicine, so their credentials are either Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO).

In addition to conducting vision exams and prescribing all forms of vision correction, ophthalmologists are trained to diagnose and treat all types of eye problems, injuries, and diseases as well as perform surgery.

An Optometrist
Doctors of Optometry have an OD credential and, in addition to an undergraduate degree, they have four years of post-graduate doctoral training.

Optometrists provide comprehensive eye exams and can diagnose and treat common vision problems and certain eye abnormalities or diseases, as well as provide pre- and post-surgical care.

Optometrists can prescribe glasses, contact lenses, eye exercises, vision aids and therapy, and topical medications to treat certain eye diseases.

What Type of Doctor Will My Child First See?

The first eye doctor your child will work with will be the optometrist. They’ll check how well your child is seeing with specific tests to measure their vision acuity and clarity. In addition, they will assess your child’s eye alignment and movement, color blindness, depth perception, peripheral (side) vision and eye pressure. If necessary, the optometrist may prescribe glasses, topical medications – like eye drops and ointments – and some oral medications.

Pediatric Optometrist Eye Exams: What to Expect

Your child’s eye exam may vary from doctor to doctor, but they’re all designed to check for the same basic abilities and potential problems.

A pediatric optometrist’s exam consists of a comprehensive eye assessment to identify potential eye-related diseases, a refraction test that assesses your child’s vision, and a visual function and eye health assessment. In addition, your child may be given eye drops, which are used to dilate the pupils, giving the doctor a better view of the structures inside the eye, such as the retina, optic nerve, and blood vessels. This allows them to determine if your child has a focusing or refractive error that requires glasses. If your child requires additional medical attention, the optometrist will refer you to an ophthalmologist to further evaluate the issue.

When Your Child Needs to See an Orthoptist

If your ophthalmologist thinks your child might have a vision problem, they may refer you to an orthoptist to carry out the medical treatment plan prescribed by the ophthalmologist.

The orthoptist might do tests to determine what your child can see and whether your child’s vision development is on track for their age. Additionally, they’ll check for reduced vision in one or both eyes and see if your child’s eyes are moving together properly. The orthoptist might also look at other areas of your child’s vision, such as how they see colors and how well they can see at various distances. Pediatric orthoptists may also check your child’s pupils and eye pressure to get a full picture of how they see the world around them.

Your Child’s Pediatric Eye Doctor: Proudly Serving Pediatric Patients in Mount Vernon & Surrounding Areas

To make sure your child’s vision is healthy and precisely supporting his or her learning and living needs, an annual visit to an optometrist who specializes in treating young children is essential.

At iCare Vision, we see to it that your child’s vision is thoroughly assessed, and they find the experience fun and engaging.

If your child is feeling a little anxious about the exam, they can relax and play before they see the doctor in our children’s corner and coloring area in the waiting room.

If the doctor finds that your child would benefit from glasses, your child can pick out cool frames that fit their personality with our collection of children’s frames.

Schedule an optometrist exam or call us for an ophthalmology reference.