Childrens Optometrist Perth

At E Eye Place, we are passionate about being a safe optometrist for kids. We offer childrens eye tests, and full service eye care for your child. Give your child the experience of the best optometrist for kids in Perth. With 40+ years of heritage, a lot of our clients started their children’s eye care with E Eye Place!

Your Children's Eye Care is Vital

The ability to see is instant the moment a child is born. Visual acuity (sharpness of vision), on the other hand, takes time to develop, which is why children’s eye care is so important. In the first month of life, vision remains blurry, which gradually improves each month. By the sixth month, babies can see distant objects clearly. It takes another six months for the child to follow things darting in and out of sight. However, it’s not until their fourth birthday when visual acuity is equivalent to that of adults. It continues to develop until six to seven years of age.

Having a reliable optometrist for your kids is a part of every parent’s responsibility. It’s a common misconception that all kids can see clearly. In reality, children’s eyesight problems can emerge well under the age of four. But here’s the good news depending on the condition, there are ways to help children see better and prevent the problem from getting worse, as long as they are picked up early. Research supports the use of modern eyeglasses for kids to have improved vision skills.

Keeping on top of your children’s eye care is a very important part of growing up. Giving your little one accessibility to a high quality childrens eye test at a top rated and trusted optometrist for kids is something no one can take away from your child. Book a Childrens eye test today!

Detecting Vision Problems With a Kids Optometrist

A parent can provide early insights to a kid’s vision and its potential issues, but imagine what a specialised optometrist for kids can do as well! When vision problems are detected early, it can be treated, increasing the chance of healthy, normal vision. With your children’s eye care, here are a few things to look for:

Visibly crossed eyes or strabismus
Frequent tilting of the head
Large eye size
Light sensitivity
Unresponsiveness to light
Habitual eye rubbing, often followed by grimacing
Failing to grasp objects
Inability to focus, usually with the eyes turning

For children aged five and above, make sure to watch out for the following signs of kids’ vision problems:

Bumping into furniture
Frequent stumbling
Complaints about not seeing in the dark and at dusk
Poor school performance
Avoiding reading books
Recurring headaches
Avoiding other kids

If you have observed some of the conditions above, schedule an appointment with a childrens optometrist today, call us at E Eye Care and we’ll make sure your children’s eye care is well looked after!

Common Types of Vision Problems in Children

FAR SIGHTEDNESS (HYPEROPIA)

Does your child have no problems recognising distant objects, but struggle to see things up close? This is most likely hyperopia or farsightedness. If left untreated, your child can suffer from constant headaches, tiredness, and concentration issues. Many children who are farsighted are often described as restless and get exhausted quickly, particularly when reading and writing.

NEARSIGHTEDNESS (MYOPIA)

When a child is nearsighted, they can see things up close clearly but not those in the distance. This is a result of the eyeball shape, usually when it is too long, or it could also be due to an excessively high eye lens refraction power. Light focuses too far in front of the retina rather than focusing on the retina itself. It’s important to choose the right lens for myopia in children.

Children with myopia read or watch TV too close. They also squint or blink rapidly, which helps them see objects that are far away.

ASTIGMATISM

When the cornea is not perfectly curved, it can cause astigmatism, a condition characterised by blurry and distorted vision. Other symptoms include eye strain, fatigue, and headaches. Astigmatism is common in children, around 23% from six months to one year.

However, if it is severe, astigmatism is a risk factor for amblyopia (lazy eye), the leading cause of preventable vision loss in children.

CROSS-EYED VISION (STRABISMUS) & LAZY EYE (AMBLYOPIA)

Cross eyes or strabismus is uncommon, affecting only five per cent of the world population. It does not cause any pain where typically, one eye focuses incorrectly in a different direction. As a result, the brain forms two dissimilar images where one is sharp while the other is blurry. This condition forces the child to use the working eye more, which causes the other eye to stop developing its visual acuity. That’s where the term “lazy eye” was coined.

The neglected eye’s vision declines over time. Therefore, it is important for your child’s strabismus to be treated right away to avoid severe vision problems. Treatment for strabismus can range from simple spectacle correction, vision therapy, to appropriate and timely referral to an ophthalmologist who specialises in eye muscle surgery.

Book Your Appointment Today With Perths Top Kids Optometrist!

Talk to us. We’re here to help make sure your child gets the best eye care possible.

Colour Vision Issues In Kids

COMMON TYPES OF COLOUR VISION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

CAUSES OF COLOUR VISION DEFICIENCIES

TREATMENT

COMMON TYPES OF COLOUR VISION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

CAUSES OF COLOUR VISION DEFICIENCIES

TREATMENT

Frequently Asked Questions

Are There Signs to Look for in Children with Vision Problems?

Parents should check for signs that there is a potential issue with their kids vision. This is crucial in finding the best treatment for the problem. Some signs to watch out for are larger than normal eye size, strabismus or crossed eyes, and failure to hold or grasp objects.

Some kids are extremely sensitive to light, while others do not respond to bright lights. You may also find that your child cannot focus on a particular object, causing him or her to tilt the head or even roll the eyes. Older children from five years of age may have difficulty keeping their balance when walking, often stumbling or bumping into furniture.

What are the Common Vision Problems in Kids?

Kids, like adults, can see near objects clearly but not those far from them. This is called myopia or nearsightedness. If your child can only see far objects but not the things close to them, especially when reading a book, they have hyperopia or farsightedness.

Some children have astigmatism, but this condition usually goes away as they grow. Unfortunately, there are kids who don’t outgrow their astigmatism. In cases where astigmatism is severe, the child develops a lazy eye or amblyopia.

Another vision problem in kids is strabismus or cross-eyedness. Although rare, having cross-eyes should be treated immediately to stop it from worsening.

Can Kids Be Colour Blind?

Yes, kids can have colour vision deficiencies, which can be in the form of reduced colour perception, partial colour blindness, or total colour blindness. A child who is colour blind usually cannot see red and green. However, if your kid is totally colour blind, they do not see colours, just grey scales. Total colour blindness is hereditary.

These colour vision deficiencies occur due to defects in the eyes, normally from the day the child is born. Some people develop colour blindness as they age, and it is a common side effect of taking certain medications for a long time. Macular degeneration also causes colour blindness.

How Do You Treat Colour Vision Problems in Kids?

Unfortunately, there is still no treatment discovered for colour blindness and colour vision deficiencies. The good news, though, is that there are special glasses for kids to enjoy comfortable vision. These glasses work efficiently by changing colour contrasts, depending on the type of colour blindness they have. For instance, red spectacle lenses are useful for kids who have trouble seeing red hues.

As with any other vision problem, the key is to detect the problem early. That way, colour blindness can be corrected effectively. You can check your child’s ability to perceive colours with the use of a dotted colour chart.