Blog Hero

Kid’s First Eye Exam

Book Appointment

Do you ever wonder how your infant or child sees the world? What if you knew that every 1 in 4 children have some type of visual disorder? Young children rarely complain about blurry vision since they do not know what normal vision looks like.

Optometrists recommend children have their first eye exam at 6 months of age and then continue on a yearly basis.

Tips for your Child’s First Eye Exam

  1. What age?
    Most parents think that their children need to know the alphabet before their first eye exam which is definitely not the case! We have several other age relevant tests that our pediatric optometrist can perform. Our Hamilton optometrists recommend children have their first eye exam between 6 to 12 months of age and then continue on a yearly basis.
  2. What to Expect at your Child’s First Eye Exam
    Optometrists evaluate three different elements including vision, eye health and function/binocular vision. With infants, the test is much more objective as they cannot communicate as easily
  3. Your Child’s Medical History
    A detailed infant/toddler/child eye exam will include reviewing your child’s vision, health, and developmental history. We have an intake form on our website that we would like the parents/legal guardian to complete before the exam so we can review any concerns during the eye exam.
  4. Keeping Things Relaxed
    We recommend booking your child’s eye appointment after a nap/meal so they are well rested and well fed. We also recommend arriving early so you and your child don’t feel rushed or stressed during the exam.

Children aged 19 and under are covered by OHIP for a yearly eye exam with an optometrist in Ontario. Call us at 289 309-1090 or e-mail us at [email protected] to book an appointment with our Stoney Creek optometrists Dr. Shinger or Dr. Viswanathan today. We are here to meet all your Stoney Creek eye care needs.

Written by Dr. Jasjeet Shinger

Dr. Jasjeet Shinger has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree and completed her Doctorate of Optometry with honours at the University of Waterloo. While attaining her Doctorate in Optometry, Dr. Shinger worked with a binocular vision and pediatric specialist during her clinical externship, which helped her gain a keen interest in helping patients manage binocular vision deficiencies that can affect learning.
instagram facebook facebook2 pinterest twitter google-plus google linkedin2 yelp youtube phone location calendar share2 link star-full star star-half chevron-right chevron-left chevron-down chevron-up envelope fax