Promoting eye health is a vital part of good parenting, as up to 80% of your child’s learning is visual. At Focused Eye Care, all of our doctors, understand the importance of protecting your child’s eyes and are specially trained to work with children of all ages. From maintenance screenings to eyeglasses, this team of optometrists prides itself in providing care to the pediatric populations of Lakeville, Apple Valley, Farmington, and Rosemount, Minnesota. When you’re looking for a specialist in children’s eye care, contact all of our doctors. Call the office at 952-985-6467 or book your appointment online now.
When should a child start seeing an eye doctor?
At Focused Eye Care, all of our doctors follow the recommendation of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and suggest having your child’s first eye exam around six months of age. If you suspect eye or vision problems, though, you should schedule the exam even earlier.
During this first infant appointment, your child’s optometrist may test for:
- Nearsightedness
- Farsightedness
- Astigmatism
- Eye movement
- Amblyopia (weakness in one eye)
If there aren’t significant eye health issues, your child’s optometrist most likely recommends yearly eye exams. These allow the doctor to monitor and screen for vision issues, as well as detail the progression of your child’s vision.
If, at any time, there’s a significant change in your child’s vision, contact your doctor immediately.
What is InfantSEE®?
The optometrists at Focused Eye Care participate in the AOA’s InfantSEE program. This public health initiative strives to make eye and vision care an essential part of your child’s wellness.
Through this program, all of our doctors provide comprehensive infant eye examinations to children between 6-12 months old at no cost. All children qualify for this one-time appointment.
The eye, just like your child, goes through different stages of development and these InfantSEE examinations ensure it’s progressing healthily.
All of our doctors are also specially trained to recognize infant eye conditions that are often missed at home and during well-check appointments. When caught early, these issues are addressed and corrected before they become chronic or lead to further issues.
What happens during a children’s eye exam?
When your child sees one of the optometrists at Focused Eye Care, the doctor completes a comprehensive exam and vision screening. This screening may be done with a chart, pictures, letters, or a game that shows how your child sees details and forms.
If the doctor determines that your child has vision difficulties, they discuss your treatment options.
For example, they may recommend glasses. In cases of amblyopia, or lazy eye, all of our doctors may suggest covering the stronger eye or using atropine drops to blur its vision. Doing so forces the weaker eye to strengthen and eventually straighten.
If you’re looking for a family eye doctor for your child, contact the team at Focused Eye Care today. Call the office to schedule your appointment or book it conveniently online now.
