Eye Exams for Toddlers with our Residency Trained Pediatric Optometrist

Doesn't know her alphabet?
Doesn't know her numbers?
Is extremely shy?
Hasn't said her first word yet?
No problem...

As you know, your pediatrician has specialized training for treating children. The same is true for a residency-trained pediatric optometrist. With kid-friendly testing techniques and age-appropriate testing tools, our pediatric eye doctors can identify and diagnose vision problems – even before your child has learned to talk or knows the alphabet.

Undiagnosed vision conditions or abnormalities can be a barrier to normal development and learning - some can even lead to vision loss. Fortunately, many childhood vision conditions can be effectively treated, which is why early diagnosis and treatment is so important.

At Artisan Pediatric Eyecare. our doctors take the time to discuss:

• Your child's health history
• Your family's health history
• Any concerns you have about your child's vision

During the comprehensive examination our doctors evaluate:

• Visual acuity
• Refractive status
• Eye movement
• Eye alignment
• Binocular potential
• Ocular health

At Artisan Pediatric Eyecare we understand that toddlers and pre-schoolers are busy exploring their environment. Every experience is an opportunity for development and learning. The performance of their visual system impacts normal development and social interaction.

A comprehensive eye examination with one of our pediatric eye doctors can provide you peace of mind – knowing your toddler has healthy vision. A comprehensive vision examination at Artisan Pediatric Eyecare is one of the simplest, most cost effective things you can do for your child. Help protect your child's vision. Call our office for an appointment.

Patient History

Some eye conditions are strongly linked to family history, so the first step for the pediatric optometrist is to compile a history on the child. A comprehensive patient history for infants may include any problems you have noticed, visual and ocular history, general health history, family eye and medical history, developmental history and demographic data.

Factors placing an infant, toddler, or child at significant risk for visual impairment include:

• Prematurity, low birth weight, oxygen at birth
• Family history of eye diseases such as retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, or metabolic or genetic disease
• Infection of the mother during pregnancy (e.g., rubella, toxoplasmosis) or drug/alcohol use during pregnancy
• Sexually transmitted diseases, cytomegalovirus, or HIV
• Difficult or assisted labor, which may be associated with fetal distress or low Apgar scores

Eye Exams for Toddlers at Artisan Pediatric Eyecare

Click the items below to learn more about what we look for in our comprehensive eye exams for toddlers. 

Visual Acuity

Because traditional eye chart testing requires identification of letters or symbols and demands sustained attention, this test cannot be used with infants and toddlers. Assessment of visual acuity for infants and toddlers may include tests to assess that the infant can fix their eyes on an object and follow the object, or at which objects the baby prefers to look, and at what distances.

Refractive Status

The pediatric optometrist may use lenses and light from a small hand-held instrument to assess how the eye responds to particular targets. The doctor may also repeat this test after using eye drops to enlarge the pupil and stabilize the baby’s focusing.

The typical infant may have some degree of farsightedness and astigmatism not requiring correction. Studies show that 30 to 50 percent of infants under 12 months have significant astigmatism, which declines over the first few years of life, becoming stable between approximately 2½ to 5 years of age. Low amounts of anisometropia (where the refraction is not the same in both eyes) are common and variable in infants.

Eye Movement

Using her hands, a light, or a toy, the pediatric optometrist catches the baby’s attention and observes how the baby follows the movements of the object.

Eye Alignment/Binocular Potential

By covering one eye at a time, the pediatric optometrist gathers information about the eye muscles and acuity. While identifying strabismus is important in itself, the presence of strabismus may indicate any number of disease entities.

Eye Health

The pediatric optometrist will examine the eye’s structure as well as eyelids, tear ducts, and other parts of the eye. Pupil function will be checked, and a hand-held biomicroscope may be used for evaluation of the front of the eye. A test to assess visual field will be completed and an examination of the inner eye through a dilated pupil will be done. An ideal time for evaluation of the posterior segment is when the infant is in a calm, relaxed, condition (i.e., being bottle fed or sound asleep).

Call us today at 208-900-3336 to schedule an eye exam appointment for your toddler.