Your Child’s Health and Development is Linked to their Vision!
As a parent, your child’s health is important. While most parents are great about scheduling an annual doctor’s visit, scheduling an appointment with the eye doctor is often left off the list. In this article, we’ll talk about why ensuring your child receives a pediatric eye exam is so critical.
Why Pediatric Eye Care is Critical–and When to Make Appointments
Vision plays an important role in child development. Healthy vision can have a huge impact on social, motor, cognitive, and academic achievement. Because a child’s eyes go through rapid changes in the first six years of life, it’s key that you get your child into the eye doctor’s exam room on a regular schedule.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends children receive comprehensive eye exams beginning in infancy and following this schedule:
- A comprehensive baseline exam between 6 and 12 months
- At least one comprehensive eye exam between 3 and 5 years to check for conditions that could have long-term effects
- An annual comprehensive exam before starting first grade
While having good eyesight can help us just enjoy life more in general, it also helps us navigate the world around us. And for parents, it’s important to set your child up for a life of success!
Here are our top reasons why regular comprehensive pediatric eye exams are so important.
1 | Vision Quality Changes Year-to-Year
Because your child’s eyes are going through rapid changes in the first six years, that means their vision can also change from year to year. Vision also can change again as your child approaches their teens. Your child may not even know their vision quality is bad until it becomes difficult to read. Getting your child’s eyes examined regularly can help determine if they require a prescription or treatment for an eye health issue. This keeps your child comfortable and able to participate in the world around them with ease.
2 | Vision Plays a Role in Childhood Development
In your child’s earliest years, vision is how they navigate and learn about the world around them. Young children with poor eyesight can get behind in development. Vision is essential in developing good hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and spatial awareness. But it also helps your children learn to interpret social cues, recognize facial expressions, and participate in group activities. Poor vision could even lead to behavioral issues out of frustration from difficulties seeing clearly. Some young children may require glasses to help them see or to train a lazy eye.
3 | Vision and Academic Success are Linked
When your child is unable to read, their grades could begin to slip. Struggling to read assignments or notes on the board can have a noticeable impact on your child’s ability to learn and interact with their peers. Glasses to correct poor vision can help your child stay visually engaged in the classroom.
4 | Better Vision is Safe!
For parents of teens approaching driving age, an eye exam should be at the top of your to-do list. It’s important that your child be able to see traffic lights, road signs, pedestrians, and other vehicles at a distance in order to be a safe driver. Further, some municipalities require passing a vision test as part of receiving a driver’s license. An exam now can help prepare your child for safe driving later!
5 | It’s Good Habit Building
Part of parenting is helping your child build healthy habits now. Someday, their health will be their own responsibility. Creating a good foundation of habits when they are young helps ensure they carry those habits into adulthood. This will help set your child up for good eye health throughout their life.
6 | Eye Exams Reveal Early Signs of Issues
Finally, eye exams are more than just diagnosing far- or nearsightedness and prescribing glasses or contacts. There are other ocular health issues that can develop in childhood that could lead to permanent damage if not treated. Identifying these eye health issues early on leads to more positive health outcomes for your child.
Set Your Child Up for Success!
Black Diamond Eye Care is your trusted family eye doctor. We understand how vital healthy vision is for a successful and fulfilling life. We provide exceptional family eye care services in a warm and relaxing atmosphere. Schedule your child’s eye exam with us today to help set your child up for a lifetime of success!
