The Importance of Eye Tests for Children

As with many aspects of health, the earlier that an eye problem can be detected, the better. If problems with vision are not identified at an early stage of life, it can affect a child’s education and could hold back their development. Up to 1 million children in the UK have an undetected vision problem, so it is really quite common and is an area that parents must be aware of.

Therefore, it is important to monitor eye health from a young age, especially as children’s eyes are still developing up to the age of around 7 or 8.

When should children start having their eyes tested?

Babies have their eyes checked as routine physical examinations when they are born but this is not with an eye specialist. It is easy for eye problems to get missed at this early stage in life, so it is important to look for any signs that your child may be suffering from any eye problems.

The NHS recommends that children have vision screening when they start school and that parents should take their children to an optometrist for an eye examination. If you think your child may be struggling with their vision even before school age, you should take them for an eye test as soon as you can.

What happens during a children’s eye test?

An eye test should be a friendly experience that is completely comfortable and does not cause children to get distressed. Booking an appointment at an experienced optometrist like Buchanan Optometrists will ensure that your child’s eye test is not only relaxed but also very comprehensive.

Our range of advanced eye tests for children enables us to detect even the smallest problems, meaning that we can help to prevent issues from developing any further. Whilst adult eye tests will often involve reading letters, if your child has not reached the reading stage yet, we can still carry out tests that will identify any problems.

We use tests such as photographing the retina to get a high-resolution image of the retina so that we can assess it for any indicators that there may be eye health problems. We are also able to test for colour blindness from as early as 2 years old and again, the tests are designed so that if children can’t read number or letters, we can still identify the condition.

Signs your child needs an eye check up

Children do not always complain of sight problems and indeed with some eye muscle problems their eyesight can appear normal. You may not see any clear signals that there is an underlying eye health issue, so it is always important to take your child to the optometrists for regular eye tests.

Poor concentration, clumsiness, falling behind at school, headaches and rubbing eyes can all be subtle signs that your child may need an eye test.

Book your child’s eye test today on 01634 757227.