Do children get NHS eye tests?
Although serious vision problems during childhood are rare, routine eye checks are offered to newborn babies and young children to identify any problems early on. Free NHS sight tests are also available at opticians for children under 16 and for young people under 19 in full-time education.
When to worry about your child’s squint in the eye?
your child is older than 3 months and has a squint that comes and goes – in babies younger than this, squints that come and go are common and are not usually a cause for concern you have any concerns about your child’s vision – signs of a problem can include regularly turning their head to one side or keeping one eye closed when looking at things
What to do if your child has a lazy eye?
If your child has a lazy eye as a result of their squint (read about possible further problems below), it may need to be treated first. Treatment for a lazy eye usually involves wearing a patch over the unaffected eye to help improve vision in the affected eye.
What causes eye problems in babies and children?
Causes of eye problems in babies and children. There are a number of different eye problems that can be detected during eye tests, including: childhood cataracts – cloudy patches in the lens of the eye that are present from birth. lazy eye (amblyopia) – where the vision in one eye does not develop properly.
When do children turn their eyes up or down?
It’s particularly common in young children, but can occur at any age. One of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down while the other eye looks ahead. This may happen all the time or it may come and go.
your child is older than 3 months and has a squint that comes and goes – in babies younger than this, squints that come and go are common and are not usually a cause for concern you have any concerns about your child’s vision – signs of a problem can include regularly turning their head to one side or keeping one eye closed when looking at things
Causes of eye problems in babies and children. There are a number of different eye problems that can be detected during eye tests, including: childhood cataracts – cloudy patches in the lens of the eye that are present from birth. lazy eye (amblyopia) – where the vision in one eye does not develop properly.
If your child has a lazy eye as a result of their squint (read about possible further problems below), it may need to be treated first. Treatment for a lazy eye usually involves wearing a patch over the unaffected eye to help improve vision in the affected eye.
It’s particularly common in young children, but can occur at any age. One of the eyes may turn in, out, up or down while the other eye looks ahead. This may happen all the time or it may come and go.