Glasses Can Help Even Young Children
When should a child get his or her first pair of glasses?
When he or she needs them. That may be as young as a few months of age.
Healthcare providers who specialize in children's eye care say kids usually become
nearsighted or farsighted between ages 6 and 12. Farsightedness may be diagnosed even
earlier, sometimes in infancy. Even infants can wear glasses if they need help to
see well. Experts agree that all children should have an eye screening before they
enter school. In addition, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American
Optometric Association (AOA) also advise that all infants, preschoolers, and school-age
children be screened for vision problems. An ophthalmologist or optometrist should
examine any child who doesn’t pass one of the screening tests below.
Screening guide
The AAO and AOA advise these screenings:
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A pediatrician or healthcare provider should examine a newborn's eyes to make sure
they are healthy. (An ophthalmologist or optometrist should look at all newborns at
risk for developing serious vision problems in childhood, as well as those with developmental
delays.) Not all visual problems are a result of abnormal focus. Babies may be born
with cataracts, cloudy corneas, or other problems that affect vision.
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A healthcare provider should examine the eyes of children between 6 months and 1 year
of age.
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A healthcare provider should do vision screening between ages 3 and 3 1/2 years. The
focus should be on checking visual acuity. A formal test of visual acuity should be
done by age 5.
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For children ages 6 to 17, vision screening should occur before first grade and every
year after that.
The need for and frequency of follow-up visits will be determined by whether or not
your child is at risk for the development of eye and vision problems. Healthcare providers
can prescribe glasses—even bifocals—and contact lenses for premature infants and other
children who have vision problems.
With strabismus, or crossed eyes, the eyes sometimes fail to work together when looking
at a near object. Experts can spot this problem in children as young as 2 or 3 months.
Strabismus may cause reduced vision in the weaker eye because the brain recognizes
the image of the better-seeing eye and ignores the image of the weaker eye. Healthcare
providers treat the condition by putting a patch on the "good" eye to strengthen and
improve vision in the weaker eye. If the condition is diagnosed when a child is young,
treatment is usually successful. Surgery may also be used to make the eyes focus at
the same time on the same point. This is generally done if patching isn’t successful.
Signs of eye problems
Here are some things to look for:
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Babies older than 3 months who don't make eye contact or have eyes that look different
ways. A pediatrician should evaluate these babies. This may also be a sign of blindness,
intellectual disability, neurological problems, or autism, as well as eye problems.
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Babies who don't watch a favorite object (like a pacifier) if you move it to the side.
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Children who tilt their heads to see things.
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Children, including older children, who squint. A school-age child who squints to
see the blackboard may be nearsighted.
If you notice any of these behaviors, or if you have any other concerns about your
child's vision, contact your pediatrician right away for an evaluation.