Healthy Eyes from the Start

At every age, kids discover new things about the world around them. They rely on their vision for everything from learning to read and write, to playing sports, and interacting with other children.

Vision problems can affect their development and make it harder for them to achieve success both inside and outside the classroom. Since it’s not always possible to know when your child is having vision problems, it’s essential to regularly bring them to the optometrist to identify and treat any issues.

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What to Expect in Your Child’s Eye Exam

Your child needs regular eye exams beginning between 6 and 9 months old to ensure their eyes are growing correctly and to catch any concerns as early as possible. They should have at least one eye exam between ages 2 and 5 and an annual exam once they start school.

Their exam includes:

Testing your child’s visual acuity
Assessing any refractive error that might require them to wear glasses
Checking their retinas with an ophthalmoscope
Testing the ability of their eyes to work together as a team and focus at different distances
Assessing their pupil dilation

We can also perform simple, noninvasive retinal photography, which is useful in tracking the health of their eyes and is particularly valuable if there’s a family history of eye disease.

Nutrition for Your Child’s Visual Development

A healthy diet with plenty of whole foods is essential for keeping a child’s eyes—and the rest of their body—healthy. While we know some kids are picky eaters, we like to recommend some particular nutrients and the foods they’re found in to support your child’s visual health.

Vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids are especially important for a child’s growing eyes. Inflammatory foods, including refined carbohydrates, vegetable oils, sugar, processed meats, and foods sprayed with pesticides, should be avoided as much as possible. Inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of chronic disease.

Lutein & Zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are the most important antioxidants when it comes to eye health. Egg yolks contain the highest percentage of lutein and zeaxanthin of all food sources.

These vitamins can also be found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, lettuce, and peas.

Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are another powerful antioxidant that protects the eyes from free radical damage and reduces inflammation.

They can be found in blackberries, blueberries, bilberries, currants, and grapes.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that’s known to be one of nature’s strongest antioxidants and is getting more praise in ocular health in part because it’s able to reach your retina directly.

Studies show astaxanthin to be thousands of times more potent than vitamin C and 500 times stronger than Vitamin E, making it the strongest of all the carotenoids when it comes to neutralizing free radicals.

Great sources of astaxanthin are sockeye salmon, rainbow trout, crab, and shrimp.

Protecting Their Future Vision With Myopia Control

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is already extremely common in Canada and worldwide, and it’s on the rise. While myopia can be easily corrected with glasses or contacts, there are some serious risks associated with high myopia, including possible vision loss later in life.

With myopia control techniques, it’s possible to slow the progression of myopia in children and protect their vision for the long term.

Learn about our myopia control methods for your child.

OCT Wellness Exam

If you choose to include a wellness exam in your own adult eye exam to add another layer of diagnostic power to detecting eye diseases and conditions early, we’re happy to offer your child this diagnostic imaging as a complimentary service.