Children’s Eyecare

Eyesight is incredibly important in a child’s overall development. At Byrne’s Opticians our specialist are experts in looking after your child’s eyecare needs from start to finish. Early detection through a comprehensive eye exam is vital to prevent long term visual problems and development.

When should your child have their first eye exam?

At present, children have developmental checks from birth and have an eye screening at age 5 to detect more obvious eye conditions. It is important to know that this is not a full eye exam. Generally, a child should have their eyes examined at about age 3. If you suspect any issues before this age or if there is a family history such as Strabismus (eye turn) or Amblyopia (lazy eye) there are several tests that can be used to examine an infant thoroughly.

What to expect at a child’s eye exam

Prepare your child for the eye exam, explain its easy and not scary and explain that they will sit with their child during the eye examination. Our Optometrists have the experience to know how to make your child welcome and at home by giving them the time they need until this is achieved.

Shown below is an example of the Kay pictures chart so they know the kind of pictures that will be used.

During the examination their vision is checked. Their eye prescription is checked by using drops to relax the muscles in the eyes. (The drops are a little stingy and may mean your child is blurry for up to 24 hours). Next, eye muscle and how the eyes work together are checked. Other tests such as pupil reactions, colour vision is also carried out and finally, the health of the eyes is checked

Children glasses and contact lenses

If your child requires glasses, we offer a huge range of frames to suit all shapes and sizes. Having access to a wide variety of bespoke frames means we can achieve optimum fitting of frames on your child. The correct fitting of frames not only means your child is more likely to wear their glasses but also gives the best visual outcomes.

We also recommend all our children’s lenses to be UV protected knowing the importance of this on their eye health not just now but into their future years. Children also have the option of contact lenses, which in certain circumstances such as sports is an excellent choice. Depending on the maturity of your child it can be possible to fit children as young as 8. This can all be discussed with our experienced Optometrists.

Myopia Management

Did you know? There have been major advancements in paediatric ophthalmic services in recent years. There are now glasses and contact lenses available for children that has been proven to halt vision degression whilst the child is developing. Ask our team if your child could be a candidate for Myopia Management.

Book your child’s eye exam online today