The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that a child’s first eye exam happen at 6 months of age. Then again every year. You may be thinking, “What can you tell at 6 months of age or even at age 1 or 2?”. Surprisingly, quite a bit can be determined.
We will check that the eyes are aligned and that no subtle eye turns are present. We also check the health of the eyes both inside and out. We strongly recommend that children have their eyes dilated so that the health of the eyes can be fully assessed. Lastly, the child’s prescription will be determined. Surprisingly, even if a child cannot communicate, their prescription can still be accurately determined.
The chances that your child will need glasses or have eye health problems at that age is uncommon, BUT if people postpone getting their children’s eyes checked because statistics are in their favour, they may be making a big mistake. I for one would know.
My first eye exam was at age 5. My parents had no concerns at all with my vision. They were shocked to discover that one of my eyes could not see and that it could not be corrected with glasses. My parents were devastated, to say the least. This could have been avoided with an earlier eye exam.
If you have any other questions about these or other enquiries, please don’t hesitate to call 20/20 Vision Care.
