Vision & Age
What To Expect From Your Baby's Eye Exam
Although each eye doctor and pediatrician has their own routine, most eye exams cover similar territory. First, the doctor will review your baby's health and your family health history. Then they will conduct tests to check for
- Vision By dilating your baby's eyes, the doctor can check for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.
- Alignment Using toys that make noises (or are otherwise intriguing) the doctor will cover and quickly uncover each eye to test for a dominant eye.
- Coordination of eye muscles The doctor will move a light or some interesting toys in a set pattern to test your baby's ability to see sharply and clearly at near and far distances.
- Pupil response to light The doctor will shine a light in your baby's eye and watch the pupil's reaction.
- Eyelid health and function The doctor will examine the eyelid.
- The interior and back of the eye After dilating your baby's eyes (by both using a few eye drops and dimming the lights so the pupils will widen) the doctor will use a special instrument called an ophthalmoscope to see through to the retina and optic nerve at the back of the eye. This is where clues to many eye diseases first show up.
