Safeguarding Their Vision with Prevention
Routine eye exams are important to maintain healthy eye development in children and teenagers. Scheduling at least one eye exam per year can help us detect eye conditions early.
One common eye condition we see in children is myopia, or nearsightedness. This refractive error causes distant objects to appear blurry. Although it may seem like a small concern, myopia can progress quickly in children, causing frequent changes to their prescription and affecting their eye growth and health.
We recommend myopia management treatments for nearsighted children. The sooner myopia is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated to lessen its future impact. Protect your child’s vision by booking an eye exam today.
When Should My Child Have an Eye Exam?
We begin seeing children as young as 6 months old for their first eye exam.
According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO), children should have their first eye exam between 6 and 9 months old. Between 2 and 5 years old, CAO recommends a minimum of one more eye exam. Once they start kindergarten, children should have annual eye exams.
In Ontario, OHIP covers the cost of an annual eye exam for children and youth 19 years old and younger.
Some children may require more frequent eye exams, depending on whether they are receiving treatments such as myopia management that may need closer monitoring.
Why Are Regular Eye Exams Necessary for Kids?
Regularly scheduled eye exams are necessary to support your child’s eye growth and development. Children grow rapidly, and their eyes are no exception. Regular eye exams are the first line of defence against various eye conditions, such as myopia, and help to keep your child’s vision clear so they can participate fully in school, sports, and other activities.
For nearsighted children, this quick growth can sometimes go beyond the expected level. For many children with myopia, their vision condition can contribute to the elongation of their eyes beyond normal growth standards.
If their eyes grow too long, they are at an increased risk of developing serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma and retinal detachments, later in life. By monitoring their eyes through routine eye exams, we can catch signs of myopia early and recommend management options that help to slow its progression, curb eye elongation, and protect their eye health and vision for the future.
How Does My Child’s Vision Affect Their Learning?
Up to 80% of learning is visual, whether your child is watching their teacher write on the whiteboard and share information on the projector, or they are watching the people around them and mimicking their behaviour.
For children with vision problems, such as myopia, the information being passed to them visually is impaired. Depending on their level of myopia, they may be missing out on key information because they cannot see clearly.
Many children with vision problems don’t know how to express their difficulties. They may show signs through squinting, head tilting, or complaining of frequent headaches. Vision problems in children can also present as learning or behavioural issues, where your child acts out in class, struggles to learn how to read, or refuses to complete homework.
Regular eye exams help detect vision problems so your child can receive vision correction (through glasses or contact lenses) to support their learning and development.
What to Expect During an Eye Exam
Your child’s eye exam will look a little different, depending on their age. Our optometrists are experienced working with children; in fact, three of them are parents themselves. They’ll use tools to check your child’s vision, even if they can’t read yet.
Our imaging tests will vary based on your child’s needs, but may include retinal imaging, corneal topography, and axial length measurement. Each of these devices takes a different kind of picture of their eyes. The imaging is quick, noninvasive, and nothing will touch their eyes.
We’ll explain the different tests to your child so they understand and feel comfortable. If they’re interested, we can show them the photos of the inside of their eye and explain what we see.
At the end of the exam, if they need vision correction, we’ll discuss eyewear options. We offer glasses and contact lenses for kids, as well as specialty eyewear for myopia management. Our team will guide them through the fitting process and make sure they find something they love.
Preserving Your Child’s Clear Vision
The goal of regular eye exams and myopia management is to reduce the progression of myopia, preventing their vision from worsening as rapidly. Each child is different, and some may just need UV protection to keep their eyes healthy, while other kids may need a little more support.
We’re here to help your child’s eyes grow and develop healthily. We’ll be by your side every step of the way, guiding you through any necessary treatments to protect their eyes. If you or your child have any questions, we’re always happy to answer them.
Our Services
Myopia Management
Ortho-K Contact Lenses
Children’s Eye Exams
Children’s Eyewear
Clearer Vision, Brighter Future
We help protect your child’s eyes today so their vision is clear and their eyes are healthy for the future.
Our Myopia Management Treatments
Ortho-K Contact Lenses
Ortho-k lenses are worn overnight, gently reshaping the curve of your cornea so you can see clearly throughout the day without lenses.
Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses
Soft multifocal contact lenses provide multiple prescriptions or powers that help to correct nearsightedness and slow myopia progression.
Myopia Management Spectacle Lenses
Specially-designed myopia management glasses provide peripheral defocus that reduce eye elongation and the worsening of myopia.
Low-Dose Atropine Eye Drops
Low-dose atropine eye drops are administered at night, helping to slow myopia progression. They are often paired with another treatment method.
Sneak a Peek at Our Practice
Our Children’s Eyewear Collections
Visit Our Location
Our myopia management branch is part of our Eyes on Stonehaven eye clinic. We’re located in Stonehaven Centre, just off Stonehaven Avenue near Bayview Avenue.
Our Address
- A1-675 Stonehaven Ave
- Newmarket, ON L3X 0G2
Contact Information
- Phone: 905-235-7500
- Fax: 905-235-7501
- Email: eyesonstonehaven@gmail.com
Hours Of Operation
* Closed on Saturdays during long weekend
Eyes on Stonehaven
- A1-675 Stonehaven Ave
- Newmarket, ON L3X 0G2
- 905-235-7500
- 905-235-7501
- eyesonstonehaven@gmail.com