Recommended ages for first exams
A child's eyes change quickly as muscles and tissues develop. The earlier we catch a problem, the more we can do about it. Here are the milestones we follow:
- Newborn — a basic red-reflex test confirms the eyes look healthy at birth, with a fuller exam if the baby was premature or has a family history of childhood vision disorders.
- 6 to 12 months — pupil response, fixate-and-follow, and preferential-looking tests confirm that vision is developing on track.
- 3 to 3½ years — we assess visual acuity and eye alignment, looking for strabismus, amblyopia, and refractive errors that respond best to early treatment.
- School age — yearly screening for acuity and alignment, with nearsightedness being the most common finding in this age group.