Three Things To Know About Having Your Young Child's Vision Corrected

Many first-time parents make the mistake of thinking that their child is too young to have their vision tested, but that is not the case at all. Optometrists can now test the vision of very young children with ease. The guide below walks you through a few things to know about having your child's vision corrected if needed.

A Vision Test Will Be Done

Before your child's optometrist can determine if your child needs vision correction, he or she will first have to test their vision. If your child is old enough to speak and identify pictures, he or she will use an eye chart that has images of identifiable images for your child to look at. The images will be in different sizes, and as they get smaller, they will be more difficult to see. As your child identifies the animals, the optometrist will be able to tell if vision correction is needed.

In toddlers and babies who are not able to identify images yet, the doctor can do a focus test. This form of eye test judges how well your child can focus on a picture from different distances. This does not give as exact of a result as the eye chart test, but it will allow the optometrist to easily tell if there is an issue that needs to be corrected.

Certain Vision Correction Needs to Take Place As Soon As Possible

There are some issues with vision that need to be corrected as soon as possible. A wandering eye or crossed eyes can be treated with glasses and can sometimes be completely fixed if treatment occurs quickly enough. The optometrist will be able to determine what level of correction is needed and have the perfect glasses created for your child to wear.

Children Who Need Vision Correction Need to Wear Glasses

When you find out that your young child needs vision correction, they will need to wear glasses. Contacts are not an option for young children because they more than likely are not responsible enough for them yet. There are glasses for children that are made from plastic, with plastic lenses to ensure that they are durable and will not break easily. There are also straps that can be attached to the glasses to keep them in place when your child wears them so that they do not fall off of younger children when they play.

It will take some time for your child to get used to their new glasses. It is important to encourage your child to wear them if they are going to be able to see as clearly as they possibly can.