Children
They only have one pair of eyes
Poor vision can hinder a child's development. And failure to spot and deal with any inadequacy in young eyes can often lead to even bigger difficulties in later life. So it's vital that children are taken for regular eye checks.
All newborn babies should be screened before they leave hospital to ensure that their eyes are working properly. The Health Visitor then carries out a 39 month assessment and their excellent work is a major source of prompt referral to optometrists for more detailed investigations.
All children should have a full eye examination before they go to primary school, and regularly thereafter. Research has shown that the development of a child’s visual ‘system’ is largely complete by the age of 8, after which age there is little scope for improvement in lazy eyes. So, the earlier treatment is started, the better the possible results.
Remember that all children's eye examinations are paid for by the NHS and all of our optometrists will be delighted to look at your child's eyes, no matter how young the child is. For more information, see the section headed ‘Free NHS Eye Examinations for children’.
