Pediatric Eye Exam Richmond Hill, ON
Having good binocular vision is vital for children’s learning and development. The Ontario Association of Optometrist recommends all infants have their first eye exam by age of 6 months, again at age 3 and annually after starting school.
It is important to diagnose and treat any vision problems that may impair the normal development of their visual system, as early as possible. The most common conditions our doctors will be monitoring for are Strabismus, Amblyopia and early onset Myopia.
Strabismus: Strabismus (eye turn) is an eye condition where there is an imbalance of the eye muscles, causing the inability for the eyes to work together and double vision results. The child’s visual system will learn to suppress (shut down) vision in the turn eye to eliminate the double vision so the child can function. In this case, the turned eye no longer development normally to give good vision (Amblyopia).
Amblyopia: When the eye is unable to see clearly, it will not have normal neural development and continues to have poor vision. Conditions such as Strabismus, uncorrected prescription (specifically high hyperopia) or congenital eye conditions will prevent the eye from obtaining good clear vision. If detected and treated before age 7, the neural development of the eye may be strengthened and good vision restored.
Myopia: The earlier the onset of myopia, the higher the risk for future development of ocular conditions that may lead to vision impairment. Fortunately, treatments are available to help slow down the progression of myopia and reduce the risk of ocular disease development.
