#NORTHERN LIGHTS PEDIATRICS HOW TO#
#NORTHERN LIGHTS PEDIATRICS TV#

If your child is having trouble in school or afterschool activities there could be an underlying vision problem. Undetected or uncorrected vision problems can cause children and teens to suffer academically, socially, athletically and personally. Eye Exams in School-Aged Children: Ages 6-18

#NORTHERN LIGHTS PEDIATRICS TV#

If you notice your child squinting, rubbing his eyes frequently, sitting very close to the tv or reading material, or generally avoiding activities such as puzzles or coloring, it is worth a trip to the eye doctor. Parents should also be aware of any developmental delays having to do with object, number or letter recognition, color recognition or coordination, as the root of such problems can often be visual. The earlier these conditions are treated, the higher the success rate. This is the age when parents should be on the lookout for signs of lazy eye (amblyopia) – when one eye doesn’t see clearly, or crossed eyes (strabismus) – when one or both eyes turns inward or outward. This is all dependent upon good vision and visual processes. During this time they will develop the fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and perceptual abilities that will prepare them to read and write, play sports and participate in creative activities such as drawing, sculpting or building. The toddler and preschool age is a period where children experience drastic growth in intellectual and motor skills. Since there is a higher risk of eye and vision problems if your infant was born premature or is showing signs of developmental delay, your eye doctor may require more frequent visits to keep watch on his or her progress. At this exam, the eye doctor will check that the child is seeing properly and developing on track and look for conditions that could impair eye health or vision (such as strabismus(misalignment or crossing of the eyes), farsightedness, nearsightedness, or astigmatism). You can ensure that your baby is reaching milestones by keeping an eye on what is happening with your infant’s development and by ensuring that you schedule a comprehensive infant eye exam at 6 months. With the development of eyesight, comes also the foundation for motor development such as crawling, walking and hand-eye coordination.

#NORTHERN LIGHTS PEDIATRICS HOW TO#

The brain also needs to learn how to process the visual information from the eyes to understand and interact with the world. They have to learn to focus and move their eyes, and use them together as a team. Children’s eyes can change rapidly as they grow.Ī baby’s visual system develops gradually over the first few months of life. A child that wears eyeglasses or contact lenses should have his or her eyes examined yearly. If there are any signs that there may be a vision problem or if the child has certain risk factors (such as developmental delays, premature birth, crossed or lazy eyes, family history or previous injuries) more frequent exams are recommended. To ensure that your children have the visual resources they need to grow and develop normally, their eyes and vision should be checked by an eye doctor at certain stages of their development.Īccording to the American Optometric Association (AOA) children should have their eyes examined by an eye doctor at 6 months, 3 years, at the start of school, and then at least every 2 years following. This also goes for infants who develop and learn about the world around them through their sense of sight. According to experts, 80% of learning is visual, which means that if your child is having difficulty seeing clearly, his or her learning can be affected.

Northern lights pediatrics