When do you start taking your DC to the optometrist?

[CharmedOne]

I wasn't sure which forum to post this...

It's open enrollment time at work. DS is almost 5 months old. I have already added DS to my medical and dental plans but am not sure if I should add vision coverage as well for next year. Knowing our family history, he will most likely need glasses when he's older. I'm not worried about his vision now.

So when do you start taking your DC to the optometrist?

Caroline

Precious Little Nathan
http://lilypie.com/baby1/060601/2/12/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[o_mom]

Ours recommended exams at 1, 3, and 5 yo and then yearly after that. This was based on the InfantSee program started by Jimmy Carter to eliminate infant blindness. http://www.infantsee.org/

We have been to the 1 year exam and it was pretty simple - checking that the eyes focus and track together, near and distance focusing and looking in the eyes for abnormalities. The idea is to catch any problems as early as possible.

[californiagirl]

We went at about 14 months, but that was because there's a family history of 'silent' amblyopia (i.e. I was born horribly nearsighted in one eye with no squint, no cross-eye, no wandering eye, no nothing, wasn't diagnosed until I was in school and as a result have no depth perception). The ped. opthamologist was covered by our health insurance, not our vision insurance, and said she wouldn't have recommended eye checks by a specialist for a child under 3 except for my history (she agreed it was entirely reasonable given my history, although it turns out DD has DH's eyes in function if not in colour). My ped does basic checks.

[amp]

I'm supposed to take him to the optometrist?

Almost 2.5 and haven't gone yet.

[aguinn]

BB is 2+ and I would not have thought to take him yet except for the fact that we were referred by his pedi to a pedi opthamologist (sp?) because his pedi thought he had a lazy eye (he doesn't).

With my vision history I'll probably try to take him for his first eye appointment sometime in the next year. I am so near-sighted I can't see a thing without corrective lenses, and it's been that way since I was 10. I don't know if this makes a difference or not, but he has my blue eyes, so I wonder if he also inherited my bad eyesight! DH has hazel eyes and no vision issues.

;)amy
momma to DS#1 "Big Brother" (BB) and, finally, DS#2 "Little Brother" (LB)

http://b3.lilypie.com/Eygrm4/.png[/img][/url]
http://b1.lilypie.com/ur0Am4/.png[/img][/url]

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~ Neil Postman

[TahliasMom]

DD has been going to the ophtomologist? since she was 6 weeks old at 3 month intervals. she had a bit of a lazy eye and was a bit cross-eyed. these two have corrected themselves slowly and on our last visit last month we got the good news; no glasses necessary. the pedi will recheck at 20 months and refer us again if necessary!

[annex]

When I asked my optometrist (my DD is 2 1/2), he said your pediatrician checks their eyes until they are school age. Then the schools do eye checks. So I assumed unless your ped sees a problem that requires a specialist, you are good until they get to the age that kids normally start needing glasses (2nd/3rd grade in our family.)

Anne

[o_mom]

Even if you don't take them as an infant, I don't think I would be comfortable waiting that long. Most ped/school eye checks are very brief and wouldn't catch alot of problems. If a child needs correction, even a tiny bit, it can make a huge difference in their early childhood education.

[lizamann]

I know dd will need glasses due her parents' eyes, but I will probably follow in my parents' footsteps - wait until dd starts squinting at the chalkboard! I imagine that will be 2nd/3rd grade around here, too.

[laretce6]

That's exactly what I thought Andrea. Both my sister and I had glasses by Kindergarten, but I hadn't even considered it for Ellie.

We don't have an eye doctor we're comfortable with where we are currently living, so neither DH or I has gone in over a year which is something we definitely need to fix!

Caroline
Mama to Eleanor Katherine 8.2.04

[JElaineB]

Our optometrist wanted to check DS at age 2, but our ped said to wait and take him to a pediatric opthalmologist when he is 3, which she reiterated at his 3 year appointment. So we have an opthalmologist appointment for him Dec 1 for a inital exam. Obviously if he had had any problems the ped noticed we would have taken him earlier.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[ErinMC]

DS is 21 months and we don't have any plans to take him to the eye doctor. That being said, I've been VERY careful to watch his eyes, because I had eye problems as a baby and even had 2 eye surgeries before I was 2 years old. The pediatrician does look at his eyes (though briefly) at each appointment.

But for now, his eyes look great. In fact, when we hear a plane overhead (we're near an Air Force base and are under the flight path), DS frequently can spot the tiny speck in the sky way before DH and me, and we both have great eyesight now! :-)

Erin

Mom to Chase
Feb. 2004

[Melanie]

Ds' ped had a hearing/vision specialist do a vision test at age 3. He did not pass so then I took him to my pediatric Opthalmologist (not Optometrist). An Opthalmologist is an MD so I would think would be covered under your medical. I would imagine if your baby had vision problems, you'd be seeing an MD instead of an Optometrist anyway, right?

As it turns out there was nothing wrong with Ds' vision, he was just being a goof on test day so I can't imagine when we'd next take him. I should ask the ped when they do another test. Ds is a mini-Dh (Mr. better-than-perfect-vision) so I don't expect him to have problems anyhow.

[khakismom]

Kathleen had a vision check from our ped at her 4-year appt. Everything I've read said to take your kid to an eye doc when they are 5, right before they start kindergarten.

And even though I have a good friend who is an optomitrist, I plan to schedule K with an opthamalogist. DH and I both have contacts and wore glasses as children, so I want to make sure an MD gives her her exam. So she'll have one early next year.

[daniele_ut]

I HIGHLY recommend following o_mom's advice and visiting www.infantsee.org. You can find a participating optometrist in your area who will examine your baby's eyes as a public service. It was completely free for me to take Logan to my optometrist, who happens to participate in the program.

FWIW, my mom waited to take me to the optometrist until right before I started 1st grade and I had uncorrectable damage to my eyes because of that. I had lazy eye (as did she as a child, so you think she'd have known better) and several other issues that would have been completely resolved with early intervention. Instead, I wore a patch for 2 years and have worn glasses ever since. They can't correct my vision completely even now.

My nephew also had lazy eye and it was obvious to me when he had his 6 month pics taken, so my sister took him in at 6 months old and they were able to correct it surgically and he only wore glasses for a year.

Please, it's free, so don't wait!!

[spunkybaby]

Thanks to the PP for recommending infantsee.org. I just checked the web site and found an optometrist near me. I called to make the appointment just now. The receptionist had never heard of the program, so she checked with someone and then made an appointment for the week after next. I guess it's a new program that began in summer 2005.

Not-so-new mom to a spunky baby
March 2004

[niccig]

I just got an appt. as well. I've passed this on to other mums as well.

Thanks

[CharmedOne]

Thanks everyone! It turns out that my optometrist is an InfantSEE participant. Hooray!

Caroline

Precious Little Nathan
http://lilypie.com/baby1/060601/2/12/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[Corie]

I have a question about the InfantSee Program.

I read some information on their website and it
sounds like the exam is only free if your child
is under the age of one.
Am I understanding this to be correct? I took
this sentence from the InfantSee website.


"The program will address the early childhood segment of the pre-school population, providing no-cost infant eye and vision assessments before the age of one year."




Please correct me if I am wrong!! Thank you!

[spunkybaby]

My DD is almost 19 months, and the optometrist's receptionist told me the exam would be free (I told her my DD"s birthdate). But the receptionist had never heard of the InfantSEE program before I called, so I wonder if we will get a bill after all. It's not a huge concern for us because we have enough extra flex spending $ that we need to use up this year, so we can cover DD's eye exam even if it ends up not being free. And after reading the information on the Web site, I will feel better having her eyes screened.

Not-so-new mom to a spunky baby
March 2004

[Globetrotter]

You can go when they are around one or two, mainly to look for major problems/deviation from the norm. The school/pedi. screenings are very basic, but they can help alert you to problems - I wouldn't count on them as being definitive. DD started going regularly when she was five, and turns out she has some minor issues that we need to monitor.

FYI, optometrists are generally much better at doing vision exams -they study optics in detail (in addition to eye disease) and have a lot more experience. On the other hand, opthalmologists get on the job training in eye exams, but focus on disease and eye surgery.

Kris

[HIU8]

DS is going to be one next month. Should I take him to an optomotrist in the infant see program, or an opthamologist? The ped has never mentioned that he may have a problem. I was crosseyed and had a pretty significant astigmatism as an infant and DH and I both wear glasses (I am legally blind--must wear glasses at all times, DH's issue is an astigmatism that he never grew out of). I don't want to overdo it for a first checkup, but don't want to potentially miss anything (sorry, I have never been to an optomotrist so I don't even know exactly what they look for or how they do an exam).

Thanks,

Heather
DS 11/27/04

[crayonblue]

"FYI, optometrists are generally much better at doing vision exams -they study optics in detail (in addition to eye disease) and have a lot more experience. On the other hand, opthalmologists get on the job training in eye exams, but focus on disease and eye surgery."

I am not sure about this. I've gone to both optometrists and opthamologists and have found the opposite to be true. I have been to many eye doctors all over the country and prefer opthamologists.

I LOVE my opthamologist and plan to take Lauren before school-age. I needed glasses by second grade and contacts by third so I am hoping she doesn't follow in my footsteps.

[Globetrotter]

Personally, I would take my child to an optometrist for an eye exam. We see a pediatric optometrist. As I said, they are more experienced and do a lot more eye exams on a daily basis. I grew up going to an opthalmologist (my dad is a doctor, and he was a friend) and I remember seeing a lot of older people with serious eye problems, major wait times, and we were rushed in and out. In my experience, optometrists are more likely to take their time and do a thorough screening, but you're welcome to disagree! ;)

If there's a history of eye disease, it wouldn't hurt to see a pediatric opthalmologist.

Kris

[AdoptChina]

my oldest DS had his vision checked repeatedly by the pediatrician and we were told he was fine. On a fluke he went with me to one of my eye Dr appointments and was very interested in what was going on...so the Dr suggested I make an appt for him (and he would be starting kindergarten soon)

Well we were SHOCKED to find that he had amblyopia very badly and was practically blind in his one eye! It wasnt something you could see by looking at him...no lazy eye or anything. We ended up patching for a reallllllly long time.....then switched to atropine drops. Luckily he got some improvement and can now see with glasses. Because of this we got our other kids tested younger (we started at age 3)

[crayonblue]

Not trying to be a pain but my previous opthamologist spent SIX hours one day with me. He had a busy office and I was impressed beyond words that he would take that amount of time to help me. My next opthamologist saw me once a week for months and spent an hour or so with me each time. Next opthamologist (the one who did my eye surgery) had me come in every two weeks for months to check and re-check my vision and perform dozens of tests. I have NEVER been rushed in and out of my opthamologist office. And, as far as experience, the opthamologists have seen have been the top doctors in the U.S. Maybe I am an "exciting" case to them, as I have tons of eye problems and had unbelievably bad eyesight (not anymore!). I have never waited more than a few minutes and I have always been very happy with my contacts, glasses, etc. with my opthamologists.

Just my experience. My current opthamologist changed my life. Most likely, for a pediatric visit it might not matter if you take your child to an optometrist or opthamologist but Lauren will go to an opthamologist.