Pediatric Eye Care: Why Is It Important?
- Concerned that your baby’s eyesight may be hindering their development?
- Do your toddler’s eyes appear misaligned?
Studies show that up to 10% of preschoolers have vision problems. However, kids generally aren't aware there's an issue, and don't complain about their eyes. It is therefore crucial to detect the first signs of vision problems before complications arise.
Give them the clear vision and healthy eyes they deserve by visiting our Erie pediatric eye doctor at Shawnee Optical - West Erie.
Your Pediatric Eye Care Professional in Erie
Meet our Eye Doctor
- Monday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
- Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
- Thursday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
- Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
- Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
- Sunday Closed
- VSP
- Medicare
- Aetna
- Spectera
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- EyeMed
- Medicare
4 Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem
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Trouble seeing electronic screens
Your child sits very close, tilts their head or squints to better see TVs, computer screens and other electronic screens.
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Difficulty reading or following moving objects
Your child often loses their place while reading, or can’t track a ball as it moves when playing sports.
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Headaches & eye strain
Your child complains of tired eyes or headaches after performing tasks that are visually intensive, such as reading or writing.
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Missed milestones
Your child may miss milestones such as crawling and walking, or show signs of poor depth perception.
For your child to successfully engage in sports and achieve their academic potential, they need to have healthy eyes and clear vision. The experienced and caring children's eye doctors at Shawnee Optical - West Erie will carefully examine their eyes and provide guidance to ensure your child’s healthy vision.
Pediatric Eye Exams: What You Need to Know
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Baby’s First Eye Exam- 6 months old
Though your baby won’t be able to speak yet, we can still assess their eye health. Is there anything abnormal about their eyes' appearance? Do the eyes move in unison? Can your baby’s eyes follow a toy or a familiar face in motion? Do they respond to light? Your child’s general eye health will be assessed for infection, or eye conditions such as an eye turn or potentially sight-threatening eye disease.
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Eye Exams for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Ages 2 - 5
At Shawnee Optical - West Erie we do our best to make eye exams fun for the little ones; we use toys and other fun objects where possible, and our eye charts for little kids feature colorful shapes or pictures that they’ll recognize. We check for poor depth perception, color vision problems, strabismus/amblyopia (eye turns/lazy eye), and problems with visual focusing. Our optometrist may dilate your preschooler’s pupils to get a better view of their retina, optic nerve and blood vessels.
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Eye Exams of School-Age Kids: Ages 6 - 18
For this age group, our eye care team will use advanced technologies to assess refractive errors and determine how well the visual system is functioning. This includes checking for difficulties with distance and near vision and signs of eye disease, eye-coordination problems or other health conditions.
Pediatric Eye Care FAQs
- Make sure they wear sunglasses and a hat to protect their eyes from dangerous UV rays when outside.
- Increase the time they spend outdoors.
- Make sure they eat their fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies high in lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to protect eyes from free radical damage.
- Schedule regular pediatric eye exams. Detecting and treating eye conditions and diseases commonly found in children, such as strabismus and amblyopia, can help prevent unnecessary struggles and vision problems later in life. The pediatric eye doctor will also check your child’s vision for refractive errors and visual skill deficiencies that might hinder your child’s development.
Our pediatric eye professionals recommend you bring your child in for their first eye exam at around 6 months of age. This allows your child’s eye doctor to check that their vision is progressing as expected. Early detection and treatment of certain conditions at this stage of development are essential for keeping your child’s vision and eye health on track, and can help prevent complications as they grow up.
While kids may wear glasses from as early as a few months of age, most kids who wear glasses tend to get them between the ages of 6 and 12. The three main conditions for which they wear eyeglasses are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.
