To reduce the chance of complications of eye health and visual development, it is crucial to monitor and detect visual problems that may occur during the early developmental years.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that children have their eyes examined at 6 months of age, at 3 years old, and again before kindergarten. Beyond kindergarten, it is recommended that children receive annual comprehensive eye examinations since many children experience vision changes as their world becomes more visually demanding. It is also quite common for vision changes to occur during times when a child undergoes a growth spurt! (See School Aged Vision: 6 to 18 Years of Age)
While our practice is not geared to care for the infant / toddler population, we do have the ability to objectively test vision without any response from a child who is reluctant to participate during the exam or for the child who does not know the alphabet. If your infant or toddler is in need of a comprehensive eye exam, we can recommend the services of an appropriate pediatric optometrist whose practice specializes in providing care for the younger pediatric population.