Infant & toddler-focused optometry at the Optometry Center for Vision Therapy (OCVT) integrates the joys of childhood with the results of top-level developmental optometry.
Our eye doctors for babies and toddlers at the OCVT location nearest you specialize in developmental optometry. Our expertise allows us to identify typical and atypical problems in vision for developing children and guide those children toward healthier vision.
Toddlers and infants at the eye doctor may find themselves confused and uncomfortable. Accordingly, we blend gentle child care techniques with advanced medical science to help create a comfortable and welcoming environment.
When Should My Infant or Toddler Receive an Eye Exam?
The American Optometric Association urges parents to have their childrens’ eyes examined by a practiced developmental optometrist at the ages of 6 months, 3 years, and 5 years. Each of these stages represents a milestone in visual development, wherein potential problems can be most easily identified and treated.
- At 6 months, infants are learning to control eye movement and coordinate that movement with bodily movements. Depth perception and color vision begin to work at this time, which will allow babies to start crawling around 8 months old. Crawling continues to help develop vision.
- At 3 years, healthy children are likely to actively play, which challenges their vision on a nearly constant basis. They will be fine-tuning visual abilities gained in infancy and starting to build new ones that will be cemented by movement and activity, including brain-challenging activities like stacking blocks and rolling balls.
- At 5 years, vision problems may become more apparent. Between 2 and 5 years old, children may develop common issues such as cross-eye (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia). Around 5 years of age is a critical time for diagnosing vision problems before the brain makes major changes to adapt and causes delays in mental development.
Even if you are unable to outwardly identify vision problems, we recommend bringing your child in for a visual exam at these developmental milestones to test for issues that may not be easily diagnosable.
What Will My Child’s Eye Exam and Treatment Be Like?
When you visit our eye doctors with your baby or toddler, you can expect examination and treatment to be designed for the comfort and well-being of your child. We use instruments built and ordered especially for working with infants and toddlers at the eye doctor.
Post-examination, your doctor will discuss with you the results of your child’s test, including what vision problems may be affecting him or her, and what treatments are appropriate for helping your child rebuild healthy vision.
We carry out treatment with the same attention to detail and gentle care that make our baby and toddler eye exams so well received. Treatment plans are tailored to the visual needs of your child, and your doctors are skilled at helping children feel ready and comfortable to undergo treatment regularly.
How Do I Schedule an Appointment with the Eye Doctor for My Baby or Toddler?
Come into the location nearest you or call during our office hours to talk with us directly, or feel free to fill out our form to get a complementary consultation with our team.
You can also reach us anytime by filling out the contact form on our Contact Us page. Remember the developmental stages recommended for babies and toddlers to see an eye doctor – we can’t wait to see you at the nearest location soon!
