Taking care of your children’s eye health will help ensure they have a good start in life. When it comes to eye exams, it is always best to start early. Scheduling an early eye exam can help detect issues affecting the child’s vision for life. 

Babies may not be able to read an eye chart, but eye doctors know how to look for signs of vision problems. For more on taking your child to their first eye exam, here is some information:  

Preventive Eye Care 

Eye exams are vital not just for detecting eye issues but also for providing preventive care. You do not have to wait until your child develops vision problems to visit an eye doctor. Delay in getting eye exams for children and infants can mean a delay in getting effective treatment. 

A minor issue can become a severe vision problem that is more difficult to treat as the child ages. Preventive eye care will protect your child’s vision and overall eye health. 

Importance of Eye Exams

Besides ensuring that the child’s eyes are healthy, eye exams can help detect different vision problems. These are issues that can make learning frustrating and impact the child’s safety. 

For effective learning, your child should be able to see well at different distances. Eye exams are especially essential for kids with parents or siblings with significant eye problems. It would help if you realized that your child might have a vision problem without obvious symptoms. 

Your Child’s First Eye Exam 

It would help if you did not wait until your child starts school to schedule an eye exam. Eye specialists recommend that kids get their first eye exam before they turn one. It can help look for any abnormalities in ocular function and alignment. 

Pediatricians often perform eye tests on babies soon after birth, but these are usually limited in scope. The exam will look at different skills such as focus and eye coordination. Eye exams can detect issues that can cause developmental delays. 

Eye Exams Before School 

Get your child’s eyes examined before preschool or kindergarten to monitor them early. Undetected eye abnormalities or conditions can result in vision loss. If caught early, it is possible to reverse some vision issues. 

Lazy eye is one of the most common problems among kids. It is characterized by one eye being weaker than the other. The condition responds well to early treatment using an eye patch, eyeglasses, or eye drops. 

Visiting an Eye Specialist 

Your pediatrician may be able to perform a basic examination of your child’s eyes. However, this cannot replace an exam by an eye doctor. When scheduling an eye exam for your child, make an appointment with an eye specialist. 


A pediatric ophthalmologist Our optometrist has the training and expertise to detect and treat children’s eye problems. A skilled practitioner has the right tools and techniques to ensure your child is comfortable. 


Vision issues may not always be obvious, but you may notice signs in some cases. It is especially the case for children born prematurely. Warning signs to watch for include excessive blinking or eye rubbing, minimal eye contact, and delayed motor development. 


To learn more about when your child should have their first eye exam, call ReEnvision Eye Care at (469) 908-8282 to reach our office in Frisco, Texas.