Pediatric Eye Care

Pediatric eye care can improve your child’s vision and alert you to potential problems early on when they’re easiest to treat. At Vistasite Eye Care in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York, skilled optometrists and the team offer pediatric eye care to infants, children, and teens. Call the office to request pediatric eye care for your child or book an appointment online today.

What is pediatric eye care?

Pediatric eye care diagnoses and treats vision problems and eye diseases in children and teens. 

Researchers estimate that 20% of kids under 18 have a diagnosed eye condition, such as nearsightedness or farsightedness. Correcting these issues early on can improve your child’s health and quality of life. 

What problems does pediatric eye care treat?

At Vistasite Eye Care, the team uses pediatric eye care to treat various problems, including:

• Refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism)
• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
• Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD)
• Pediatric cataracts
• Strabismus (crossed eyes)
• Nystagmus (a congenital condition that causes involuntary eye movements)

If your child frequently squints, tilts their head, rubs their eyes, or complains of headaches, make an appointment with the team. After a comprehensive eye exam, they can determine the source of your child’s symptoms and make treatment recommendations.

When should my child have pediatric eye care for the first time?

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that all children have their first eye exam by the time they’re six months old to ensure their eyes are healthy and developing normally. If your child has a lazy eye, crossed eyes, or other noticeable issues, earlier intervention might be necessary. 

After your child’s initial visit, the team at Vistasite Eye Care recommends routine checkups every two or three years. More frequent exams might be necessary if your child wears eyeglasses or contact lenses.

What happens during a pediatric eye exam?

At Vistasite Eye Care, the team tailors pediatric eye exams to each child’s individual needs. Even so, most visits feature the same basic tests, including:

• A visual acuity test
• Lazy eye test
• Eye tracking test
• Color vision test
• Eye tracking test

Your child’s eye doctor also dilates their eyes with special eye drops. Dilating eye drops widen your child’s pupils, so their provider can view the retina and the other structures at the back of the eye.

What happens if my child has vision problems or a refractive error?

If the team at Vistasite Eye Care determines that your child has vision problems or a refractive error, they make custom treatment recommendations. Often, corrective appliances like eyeglasses or contact lenses are enough to improve your child’s vision and quality of life. If necessary, the team can also prescribe medication and eye drops or perform surgery.

Call Vistasite Eye Care to request a pediatric eye exam for your child, or use the online booking feature today.