Children's Eye and Vision Care

How soon (and how often) should my child have an eye exam?

Children should have an eye exam as early as 6 months.

Many parents couple eye exams with their children’s annual physical. Unfortunately a pediatrician or family doctor may not see any immediate or future problems that requires the proactive or immediate attention of an Optometrist. It is important to monitor and treat any impending conditions as quickly as possible as children are far more responsive to effective treatment with an early diagnosis. Therefore, children should ALSO have an eye exam every year.

Your Child’s Vision Timetable:

Birth (<six months)	General Eye Health by a family physician or pediatrician. High risk newborns should be examined by an eye doctor.
Age 3 1⁄2	Eye health screenings and visual acuity tests.
Age 5	Vision and eye alignment
> Age 5	Routine screenings ­ Annually for children wearing eyeglasses and every two years for all other children.

We recommend seeing a children’s eye doctor around 3­ 3 1/2 years of age, before entering the first grade, and again about age 5 or 6. Vision should be checked every two years, even if no disorder is present, and children who wear eyeglasses should have an exam annually, or as recommended by their optometrist.

Warning Signs of Vision Problems

Studies show that 25 percent of children approaching grade school may need some form of specialized eye care. The following symptoms could indicate it is time to see an eye doctor:

• Poor or declining academic performance
• Reluctance to attend school
• Difficulty maintaining attention
• Struggling with reading or writing
• Squinting at chalkboards
• Blurry or double vision
• Headaches and/or eye pain

Early diagnosis can aid children with the fundamental skills related to good eyesight for learning performance:

• Near and distant vision
• Binocular coordination
• Eye movement and focusing
• Peripheral awareness
• Hand-­eye coordination

Be sure to tell your eye doctor if your child displays any of the following:

• Frequent eye rubbing
• Excessive blinking and/or tearing
• Difficulty maintaining fixation (a gaze) while looking at objects
• Poor eye tracking ability
• Holding reading materials too closely, or sitting too closely to the TV
• Sensitivity to light

Also be sure to provide information on any family history of eye disorders requiring correction, whether they are refractive, like nearsightedness (poor distant vision) or farsightedness (poor close vision), misalignment, or diseases of the eye.

Your Children's Eye Doctor - The Optometrist’s Role

An optometrist conducts complete and thorough, age specific eye exams, prescribes children’s eyeglasses, diagnoses and treats common diseases of the eye.

Optometrists do not perform surgery, and focus on non­invasive procedures.

Eye Glasses OR Contact Lenses for Your Child

If your child needs corrective lenses, consider either plastic frames or Impact­-resistant plastic lenses.

At some point, most children will ask for contact lenses. Children’s eyeglasses are easier to maintain than contact lenses, as serious problems can result from improper contact lens care, the most serious being corneal infection. It is best to ensure your child has reached a point of maturity where they will employ the level of hygiene essential for proper lens care.

Market Mall Optometry and Sunridge Eye Clinic, both under the supervision of Dr. Zain Jivraj is a family friendly eye clinic with custom tailored programs for children and patients of all ages. Eye exams for children are subsidized by Alberta Health and are available at no cost to parents. Call today to book an appointment or with any questions you may have about your Child’s Vision Care.

Market Mall, Calgary Eye Clinic: 403­-286-­4884

Sunridge, Calgary Eye Clinic: 403­-280-­7518