If your toddler squints, tilts her head or rubs her eyes it’s time to schedule an eye examination. Kids don't know when they have vision problems, so they will make adjustments rather than complain. Knowing what to expect will make it easier for you to encourage your child through the process of getting those first eyeglasses.
Routine Exams
Identifying vision problems early is important for your child’s healthy development. Your doctor looks for eye problems during routine examinations, checking for disease and making sure both eyes are working correctly. A family history of vision problems makes it more likely that your child will share them. Eye checks are routine at newborn and 6-month well-baby exams. In the absence of any earlier symptoms, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Ophthalmology also recommend that a pediatrician check your child’s eyes and test his vision at age 3 or 4. From age 5 on your child’s eyes should be checked--each eye separately–every year.
Eye Symptoms
For toddlers and children of any age, a number of symptoms require immediate medical attention. Call your pediatrician if your child’s eyes are sensitive to light, watery or red longer than a few days or develop crust or pus. Drooping eyelids, continuing eye pain, itching, or discomfort, eye rubbing and squinting are other symptoms to watch for. If eyes bulge, flutter up and down or side to side, or have yellow or whitish material in the pupil, let your doctor know right away.
Glasses and Good Vision
Even otherwise well-informed parents may not understand the importance of getting eyeglasses as soon as children need them. Some people think wearing glasses makes a child dependent on them. Others believe wearing glasses when young eliminates the need for them later. The simple truth is that children need glasses if they are nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatic–conditions that will neither go away nor get worse if not corrected with glasses or contacts. But it is very important to get glasses for children as soon as possible. Unlike adults, children with a vision problem may develop a second problem known as amblyopia or lazy eye. Once lazy eye develops, even with the right eyeglass correction one eye--sometimes both eyes–will not see normally.
Eyeglasses
Getting an accurate vision prescription is possible for even the squirmiest toddler with a retinoscope, which analyzes the light reflected through the pupil. All sizes and styles of eyeglass frames are available. You want one that fits comfortably but also securely. For active kids, there are aids to keep eyeglasses in place. Cable temples that wrap around the back of the ears are good for toddler glasses. Another option to consider is flexible hinges that hold glasses in position but allow them to "grow" with the child. Most lenses for children’s eyeglasses are plastic, which is both stronger and lighter than glass. Scratch-resistant coating helps protect glasses from damage during the rough-and-tumble of a normal childhood.
