Eye and Vision Tests for Children and Teens
The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends screening to detect lazy eye (amblyopia), misaligned eyes (strabismus), and defects in visual acuity in children younger than 5 years of age.footnote 1 For preschoolers with no vision problems and no family history of childhood eye problems:footnote 1
- Many experts recommend that children have their vision tested between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
- Children who have no vision problems and no family history of childhood eye problems may have their eyes tested during a health check-up or at school.
- If there is a family history of childhood eye problems, a vision examination should be done by an eye doctor.
School-age children and teenagers with no vision problems should have their vision checked every 18 to 24 months.
Children and teenagers with nearsightedness or other refractive errors should have their vision checked at least once a year. Children with severe or rapidly worsening nearsightedness will need examinations more often.
- Community Paediatrics Committee, Canadian Paediatric Society (2009). Vision screening in infants, children and youth. Paediatrics and Child Health, 14(4): 246–248. Available online: http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/cp/cp09-02.htm
Other Works Consulted
- American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Ophthalmology, et al. (2006). Screening examination of premature infants for retinopathy of prematurity. Pediatrics, 117(2): 572–576. [Errata in Pediatrics, 117(4): 1468 and Pediatrics, 118(3): 1324.]
Primary Medical Reviewer John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, MPH, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
Current as ofAugust 21, 2015
Current as of: August 21, 2015
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