Pediatric Eye Care

Support your child's highest potential.

Healthy vision is one of the most important components of your child’s wellness.

Vision develops rapidly starting at birth and is tied to many developmental milestones, such as hand-eye coordination and reading. In the long term, your child’s vision will impact how they learn, play, and interact with the world.

While there may be some obvious signs of visual disorders, many vision problems can only be detected by a qualified eye doctor during a comprehensive eye exam.

When should my child see an eye doctor?

Vision Institute Northwest sees pediatric patients starting at infancy.  We recommend annual comprehensive eye exams for all of our pediatric patients.

Routine eye exams are a crucial part of your child’s well-being and readiness for learning. Many parents do not know that school screenings are not the same as eye exams. Even with 20/20 vision, your child can still have problems that only an eye doctor can detect.

Is your child having trouble seeing?

It is not always easy to spot vision problems in kids.

Some symptoms are more obvious, like squinting or holding reading materials very close. But often the early signs are subtle and can even be misdiagnosed.

Your child may be experiencing a vision problem if he or she does any of the following:

• Avoids reading and close-up work like coloring or doing puzzles
• Seems to work slow or not understand the task
• Complains of fatigue or headaches
• Has a short attention span or seems distracted
• Covers one eye or tilts head when focusing on something
• Shows sensitivity to light
• Exhibits difficulty with coordination

Common eye disorders in children

Vision can be affected by many things, including the shape of the eyeball, how the eyes and brain work together, and by other diseases or medical conditions. The good news is that many eye disorders can be successfully identified and treated.

The most common eye disorders are caused by the shape and alignment of the eyes, including:

Strabismus is when the eyes do not align properly. This is often referred to as "crossed eyes."

Amblyopia is poor vision in one eye, and is sometimes referred to as "lazy eye." It usually occurs before the age of eight. Infants born prematurely or with low birth weight are at greater risk.

Refractive errors cause blurry images due to the shape of the eyeball or lens. These common conditions are easily treated with glasses or contact lenses. There are three types of refractive errors:

• Myopia or nearsightedness is good close vision but poor distance vision.
• Hyperopia or farsightedness is poor up-close vision. Distant objects can easily be seen.
• Astigmatism is imperfect vision at any distance.

Support your child's highest potential at Vision Institute Northwest today.