Q: When should my child get their first eye exam?
A: Children should have their first screening by 3 years old or at least by pre-school to catch any learning-related vision problems or amblyopia (lazy eye). However, some health situations in children may warrant an eye exam as early as six months of age.
Q: What is a “lazy eye?”
A: This is a concern with children. If one eye does not develop the ability to see well, it could become “lazy”. Because children compensate with the other good eye, they may not complain. An eye exam can catch and treat this so school performance is not affected.
Q: Can my child wear contact lenses?
A: Dr. Sagez is willing to fit young children in contacts since we have disposable lenses including daily disposables that require little care and have less risk of infection. More parents are comfortable and willing to let their children wear contacts in this convenient lens type. Children benefit from contact lens wear when they are involved in sports, have high prescriptions, or simply want the cosmetic benefit of getting out of their glasses.
Q: If I wear glasses, will my child eventually need glasses too?
A: The chance is higher, but not guaranteed. The need for glasses does run in families. Some eye problems are hereditary. We are also seeing the need for glasses to see far away (myopia) is much more common in the upcoming generation and is getting worse.
Q: What are the warning signs that my child might be having visual difficulty?
A: Sometimes there aren’t any! But, some signs to look for include:
Sitting too close to the television
Holding reading material too close
Closing one eye
Turning or tilting head
Complaints of headaches around the eyes after reading or at the end of school day
Avoiding reading
Reverses letters after first grade
Loses place when reading
Can’t read the board at school
Clumsy in sports
