How old does a child have to be before he or she can have an eye examination?
It is never too early for a child to have his or her eyes examined. The American Optometric Association recommends a comprehensive evaluation by an eye care professional at six months of age.
Babies learn to see over a period of time; vision is a skill that is developed. Efficient visual skills such as focusing, eye teaming, recognizing depth, making spatial judgments, and developing hand-eye coordination are imperative to how the child interprets the world and interacts with it. Inefficient visual skills can contribute to developmental delays, and can contribute to difficulty learning. It is important to detect any problems early to ensure babies have the opportunity to develop the visual abilities they need to grow and learn.
We then recommend visiting an optometrist again around age 3 if no history or symptoms of poor vision or eye health are found upon evaluation at 6 months of age.