Eye Health Kid's Eye Health Your Child's Eye Exam and Vision Problems Why catching vision problems early is important By Katherine Lee facebook linkedin Katherine Lee is a parenting writer and a former editor at Parenting and Working Mother magazines. Learn about our editorial process Katherine Lee Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Joel Forman, MD on October 22, 2019 Joel Forman, MD, is board-certified in pediatrics. He is an associate professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he is also pediatric residency program director and vice-chair for education in the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics. Learn about our Medical Review Board Joel Forman, MD Updated on December 12, 2019 Print Eye exams and vision screenings are an important part of maintaining kids' health. Pediatricians routinely check a baby or toddler's eyes during checkups to make sure they're healthy. By age 3 or 4, a child's vision should have also been checked to make sure he or she is seeing correctly. And around age 5, kids should receive routine vision screenings at school and/or their pediatrician's office. Westend61 / Getty Images What Parents Should Know Before They Bring Their Child to an Eye Exam As children enter kindergarten and elementary school, good vision will become an important part of learning. Here are some key facts parents should know about pediatric eye exams, and the important role they play in a child's overall health and development. Vision screening for kids isn't one and done. Because kids' vision can change over time, child vision screenings should be done at least once a year. Some vision problems, such as nearsightedness, may not emerge until kids are older, around age 8 or 9, and growth spurts can also contribute to a rapid change in vision. Many parents may not even be aware that their child is experiencing vision problems until a problem is detected by a vision screening. Vision screenings are important because young children often don't realize what is or isn't normal, and are not likely to speak up if they're not seeing as well as they should.The signs that your child may be experiencing vision problems can be subtle and can include squinting; tilting or turning the head to see something; eye misalignment (strabismus); complaining of headaches when doing visual tasks; inability to see things that are far away as well as peers/parents; trouble concentrating or fatigue in school; and having a persistent, unusual spot in his eyes in photos taken with a flash (a white spot, for example, instead of the common red eyes), which can indicate nearsightedness or in some cases, a more serious eye disease. Sitting close to the TV or holding things such as books very close to the face could also indicate a vision problem, but since these are common kid behaviors in all kids, parents should look for these symptoms in combination with the other signs that their child is having trouble seeing well. It is very important to catch vision problems early. Some conditions, such as amblyopia, or "lazy eye," are most treatable when caught at a young age, and are difficult to fix if it's diagnosed when a child is older, around age 7 or more. For instance, a child may have poor vision in one eye but see well enough with both so that the problem isn't detected; only a vision screening that tests a child's vision one eye at a time would detect such a problem. (Amblyopia is usually treated with glasses and sometimes patching.) Once a problem is detected, a child should undergo a comprehensive eye exam. If a screening exam indicates a vision problem, a child will be referred to an ophthalmologist or optometrist for a complete eye exam. The doctor will check to see how well the eyes track something and how well they move and focus on objects (looking at each eye independently by covering one first and then the other). She will also examine the retina and optic nerve and check the eyes for any signs of infection or disease. Eye exams are particularly important for school-age children. Children learn a lot visually in the classroom, and poor vision can have a negative effect on how a child does in school. That's why it's particularly important for school-age children to continue to get regular vision screenings, whether at school or at the doctor's office. Parents play an important role in protecting kids' vision. Follow up on screening test results and/or if you spot any signs your child may have a vision problem. Look for a pediatric ophthalmologist or optometrist, or a doctor who is comfortable with children and is experienced in caring for kids' eyes. For instance, kids tend to peek when asked to cover one eye, so a doctor should know to use a patch or cover an eye well during the exam. Doctors should also dilate pupils during an eye exam. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. KidsHealth. Your Child's Vision. Updated June 2014. Yip VC, Pan CW, Lin XY, et al. The relationship between growth spurts and myopia in Singapore children. Invest Vis Sci. 2012;53(13):7961-6. doi:10.1167/iovs.12-10402 American Optometric Association. Preschool vision: 2 to 5 years of age. KidsHealth. Amblyopia. Updated January 2017.