Having good vision is critical for a child's functional, educational and social development. A child's visual system develops over the first few years of their life. Identifying eye conditions early is key and produces a better outcome. We recommend a child with no concerns to have their first eye examination at three years old. However whatever the age, if you have any concerns always get your childs eyes checked sooner. Children rarely complain about their sight and they may not even be aware they have a problem at all however it is often shown in their behaviour.

Things to look out for..

Common eye conditions

Short Sightedness

Close objects will be clear but distance objects will be blurred.
Often becomes apparent when a child goes to school.

Long Sightedness

Focussing on close objects requires extra effort.
The symptoms can be headaches, abnormal tiredness and possibly a squint.

Squint

When a childs eye points in a different direction.
Often referred to as a lazy eye.

Amblyopia

The sight in one eye is not fully developed.

Astigmatism

Part of the eye is irregular in shape and often certain directions appear more blurred than others.