Vision tests for children
Routine eye tests are offered to newborn babies and children to identify any problems early on in their development.
Although serious vision problems during childhood are rare, early testing ensures that any problems are picked up and managed as early as possible.
Thispage covers:
When will my child's eyes be checked?
What eye tests may be carried out?
Causes of eye problems in babies and children
Spotting signs of an eye problem
When eye tests are routinely offered to children, what they involve and why they're important.
Routine eye testsoffered soon after birth can detect some eye problems immediately, and tests offered later on can help identify any problems that were missed or develop asyour childgets older. Child
Your child's eyes may be checked: within 72 hours of birth this is known as the newborn physical examination and it can be used tocheck for obvious physical problems between six and eight week
Anumber oftests may be carried out to check for vision or eye problems in babies and children. Some of these are described below. The red reflex test The red reflex test is usually carried out along