The American Optometric Association Recommended Examination Frequency For the Pediatric Patients
Children considered to be at risk for the development of eye and vision problems may need additional testing or more frequent re-evaluation. Factors placing an infant, toddler, or child at significant risk for visual impairment include:
- Prematurity, low birth weight, oxygen at birth, grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage
- Family history of retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, or metabolic or genetic disease
- Infection of mother during pregnancy (e.g., rubella, toxoplasmosis, venereal disease, herpes, cytomegalovirus, or AIDS)
- Difficult or assisted labor, which may be associated with fetal distress or low Apgar scores
- High refractive error
- Strabismus
- Anisometropia
- Known or suspected central nervous system dysfunction evidenced by developmental delay, cerebral palsy, dysmorphic features, seizures, or hydrocephalus
Here are several tips to make your child’s optometric examination a positive experience:
• Make an appointment early in the day. Allow about one hour.
• Talk about the examination in advance and encourage your child’s questions.
• Explain the examination in your child’s terms, comparing the E chart to a puzzle and the instruments to tiny flashlights.
Unless your doctor advises otherwise, your child’s next eye examination should be at age 5. By comparing test results of the two examinations, your optometrist can tell how well your child’s vision is developing for the next major step…into the school years.
As a parent, you should watch for signs that may indicate a vision development problem, including a short attention span for the child’s age; difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination in ball play and bike riding; avoidance of coloring and puzzles and other detailed activities.