How a Child's Eye Develops and When They Need Their First Eye Exam

Vision plays a crucial role in early childhood development. Children use their eyes to learn more about the world around them and develop essential skills, including hand-eye coordination and social skills! A pediatric optometrist at Brigham City Eye and Vision Care in Brigham City, UT can monitor your child's vision as they grow and develop.

How a Child's Eye Develops

After birth, newborns have limited vision and are only able to see in black, white, and some shades of gray. As babies grow older, their vision continues to develop. They gain the ability to focus their eyes and see in color. In addition, they gain depth perception and can track moving targets with their eyes.

Eyes continue to develop during childhood, and most children see their vision improve with each passing year. This allows them to develop fine motor skills and gain improved visual memory. While not all children develop at the same rate, it's important to make sure that your child is hitting milestones and don't have signs of vision problems.

When to Start Pediatric Eye Care

It's recommended that infants have their first eye exam between 6 and 9 months of age. Children should also see an optometrist at 3 years of age and have their eyes examined before they start school. Once children start school, it's generally recommended that they have their eyes examined every other year.

In addition to these examinations, you should schedule additional children's eye exams if your child shows signs of vision problems. While it isn't always easy to identify vision issues in children, common signs of a problem include:

• Frequent squinting
• Rubbing or blinking eyes
• Regular headaches
• Fatigued eyes
• Standing close to objects they want to see
• Limited attention span

Schedule an Appointment with Our Pediatric Optometrist In Brigham City, UT

Pediatric eye care is an important part of your child's growth and development. At Brigham City Eye and Vision Care, we offer children's eye exams as well as other quality eye care services. Call our team today at (435) 723-2144 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.