How Good Is Your Child's Eye Doctor? Questions To Ask A Potential Pediatric Eye Doctor

When you think about taking your child to a doctor’s office, it is not unheard of for you and your child to be a bit nervous or anxious. There are things you can do to prepare the both of you for the visit and you can help yourself and the doctor by providing a clear and detailed account of how your child’s vision is and address any concerns you may have.

What Is A Pediatric Eye Doctor?

When the time comes to have your child’s eyes checked, you will need to ensure that you are seeing the right eye care practitioner for whatever your needs could be. Ophthalmologists, opticians and optometrists are each very different professions and each has a distinctive job function and plays a crucial role in providing eye care for patients.

Ophthalmologist

A pediatric ophthalmologist is a medical or osteopathic physician that specializes in vision and eye care. They are different than opticians and optometrists in training level and what they can treat and diagnose. As an MD who has completed college and at least eight additional years of medical training, these professionals are licensed to practice both medicine and surgery. An ophthalmologist can diagnose and treat all eye diseases and perform surgery, prescribe medications and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses.

When Should A Child Get Their First Eye Exam?

As part of a general physical examination, very young children will be given a routine screening eye exam by a pediatrician or neonatologist. The doctor will check to ensure a child’s eyes are properly aligned, to make sure there are no problems on the outside of the eye and to see how the pupils respond to changes in the light. A physician will also check for the quality of red reflex from the child’s pupil. Any abnormalities might be a sign of something being wrong with the child’s eye. If there is an issue found during an eye examination, a child will be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist to be assessed.

There are some basic questions you may wish to ask your prospective pediatric ophthalmologist after he or she has examined your child and it could include any of the following:

• What is the diagnosis? (If any)
• What caused the issue?
• Was your child born with this problem?
• Is the condition genetically related?
• What is the prognosis?
• Is the condition stable? If not, will it become worse? Get better?
• Is there any type of treatment for the condition?
• Will glasses or contacts help?
• Are there any other issues associated with this condition?
• Can you tell how well the child will be able to see later on in life?
• Are there any restrictions on your child’s activities?
• What kind of lighting is best for your child?
• What else should you know about the condition?

Things You Should Tell A Pediatric Eye Doctor About Your Child

When you go to visit your child’s ophthalmologist, you should let the doctor know the following things:

• Whether or not your child reaches for toys
• Can he or she control their head, does it wobble?
• Does the child rub or poke his or her eyes?
• Is he or she light sensitive or does the child stare at it?
• What attracts the child’s attention?

Tests That May Be Performed By A Pediatric Ophthalmologist

A comprehensive pediatric eye exam includes testing and evaluating vision skills. Many schools do vision testing but generally, it is better to rely on a professional to test your child’s vision in order to determine if it is normal or if there are any things which may need to be addressed. Some of the following tests could be performed by a pediatric ophthalmologist:

• Acuity-Distance Vision Test: This test checks for visual acuity (sharpness and clearness) at distance of 20 feet.
• Acuity-Near Vision Test: This tests for visual acuity for short distances (specifically reading distance).
• Focusing Skills Test: This involves a child’s eye doctor testing him or her for the ability to maintain clear vision at different distances.
• Eye Tracking & Fixation Skills Test: This is done to check the ability of a child’s eyes to look at and accurately track an object, including the ability of the eyes to move across a piece of paper while reading words.
• Binocular Vision or Fusion Test: Checks the child for the ability to use both eyes together at the same time.
• Stereopis: This test checks for binocular vision depth perception.
• Convergence & Eye Teaming Skills Test: A doctor will check the child’s eyes for aim, movement and how they work as a team coordinated
• Color Vision Test: To check and see if the child has the ability to discern different colors.
• Visual Memory Test: Checks for the child’s ability to retrieve visual information.
• Reversal Frequency Test: A doctor will check to see if a child confuses letters or words.
• Visual Form Discrimination Test: This checks the child’s ability to determine if two shapes, colors, sizes, etc. are the same or different.
• Visual Motor Integration Test: This test is done to see if the child has the ability to combine visual input with other sensory input; the ability to discern image forms from a vertical to horizontal plane

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s vision, it is something which needs to be addressed as soon as possible with a pediatrician or pediatric ophthalmologist, because early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce the chances it could become something more serious.