COMPREHENSIVE CHILDREN’S EYE CARE
Every parent wishes for healthy development for their child. We focus on our child’s motor skills, brain development, oral care, and nutrition but often miss out on eye health assessments until the child complains. At North Shore Kamloops Optical Centre, we offer comprehensive children’s eye care services. We believe that the child should develop age-appropriate visual skills for healthy development. At our centre, we focus on your child’s visual development by conducting regular eye exams.
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Following the recommendation of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, we suggest you do the first test for your child between the age of 6-9 months. The next eye exam can be scheduled between ages 2 and 5, and then annual exams until they reach age 19. Visit our optical centre for more information on children’s eye care.
Controlling Myopia for Teens
Our doctors are experienced in controlling and treating myopia in kids. A consultation with our doctor can help determine whether you can use contact lenses to control the progression of myopia in your child. We can also fit gas-permeable ortho-k lenses that your child has to wear at night and can see clearly during the day. These types of lenses also have the ability to slow down the prescription of glasses for children with myopia.
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To Control and reduce high-risk of adolescent myopia
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Adolescent myopia is on the rise in Canada and practically every other nation. Myopia is something we're all too familiar with. Most people believe that all you need is a pair of scripted glasses. Myopia prescriptions are very readily and frequently increased, particularly during the development of teens. If it is not controlled, high myopia could result. High myopia can have an impact on your daily life as well as cause eye floaters, retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and might induce glaucoma. The likelihood of complications increases with increasing of glasses prescription; if severe, they may result in blindness.
Children’s Eye Care - FAQ
Here is an important question we have answered:
What to Expect During Children’s Eye Care?
The staff at North Shore Kamloops Optical Centre is passionate about eye care and offers eye examinations for all ages. We have a warm and comfortable setup that helps in relaxing your child. At North Shore Kamloops Optical Centre, we do not limit our eye care to vision. We have a series of tests to determine the health of the eyes of your child. These tests include visual acuity tests, vision screenings, and more.
How regularly should children visit an eye doctor?
The Canadian Optometric Association and the Canadian Public Health Association recommend that children have their first eye exam at 6-12 months of age. After their first eye exam your optometrist will let you know when their next exam is due. At a minimum, they should return for an eye exam every 1-2 years. Once a child starts school, they should have a comprehensive eye exam once a year, or as recommended by their eye doctor.
My child passed a vision screening by the nurse at school. Does he still need an eye exam?
Yes. Many schools implement a basic vision screening test to assess whether the child sees clearly at a distance, however these tests are limited in scope. They do not assess functional vision such as the child’s ability to focus, track words on a page or the eyes’ ability to work in tandem. They also do not look at the health of the eye itself. These tests are essential to know the comprehensive picture of how healthy the eyes are and how well they are doing their job. In fact, studies shown that up to 43% of children with vision problems can pass a vision screening test! A comprehensive eye exam will assess all of these functions as well as color vision, depth perception, and eye coordination.
My son’s nearsightedness keeps getting worse – he needs a new prescription every year. Is there a way to stop this?
There is research that shows that progressive myopia can be stopped or slowed during the childhood years. There are a number of therapies that are used for what is called “myopia control” including multifocal eyeglasses or contact lenses, orthokeratology (ortho-k) or atropine eye drops. Speak to a pediatric optometry specialist to learn more about the options and what might work best for your child. Check out our Myopia Ortho-K page for more details.