When It’s Time for a Pediatric Eye Exam



As a parent, you may want to ensure your child has the best start in life, including caring for their eye health. Vision problems in children can affect their ability to learn, play, and interact with the world around them. Early detection is key to addressing potential eye issues and preventing them from worsening.

Here are five signs that may indicate your child needs an eye exam.

Frequent Blinking or Covering One Eye

Blinking can be your child's way of improving their vision, as it reduces the amount of light entering the eyes and can help them focus more clearly on what they're looking at. This behavior often points to refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, which you can correct with prescription glasses or contact lenses.

Similarly, if your child habitually covers one eye while trying to look at something, it may signal conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes). These issues can impact depth perception and other aspects of vision, affecting your child’s ability to learn, play, and perform daily activities.

Tilting or Turning the Head

Tilting or turning the head may signal eye misalignment or unequal refractive power in the eyes, which can cause depth perception and binocular vision issues. This behavior can be an attempt to find the best angle to focus their vision, especially if one eye is stronger.

Over time, these problems can lead to discomfort and strain, affecting your child's ability to focus on tasks like reading or viewing screens. If left unaddressed, persistent tilting or turning of the head can lead to further complications, including developing a preference for one eye over the other, which can cause the unused eye to become weaker.

Rubbing the Eyes Frequently

While it is normal for children to rub their eyes occasionally, frequent eye rubbing can indicate discomfort or strain. Vision problems such as allergies, dry eyes, or eye fatigue can cause a child to rub their eyes more often.

Persistent eye rubbing may lead to further irritation, redness, or even damage to the eye's delicate structures if not addressed. It can also worsen any existing vision problems and potentially interfere with the child's ability to concentrate on tasks. Children with uncorrected vision issues may find writing and focusing on tasks challenging, leading to difficulty keeping up with their classmates.

Clumsiness and Difficulty with Hand-Eye Coordination

When a child struggles with depth perception or visual tracking, tasks such as catching a ball, pouring liquids, or stacking objects can become challenging. Vision problems can lead to frequent bumps, trips, or falls, affecting a child's confidence and willingness to participate in physical activities.

Children may sometimes struggle with tasks like writing or reading, as they have difficulty tracking text or focusing on written words. Scheduling an eye exam can help identify the issues and provide appropriate treatment, ensuring your child maintains healthy vision and avoids unnecessary discomfort.

Regular eye exams are essential for children, even if they don't exhibit any of the abovementioned signs. A comprehensive eye exam can detect problems early and help prevent them from affecting your child’s development and quality of life. We at Optometric Associates of Southern Maine can offer the best eye exams for your child. Contact us to schedule an appointment.