Eye Examination in Children

Although the approach varies from child to child, each new patient is examined both in terms of acuity of each eye and in terms of child's ability to use both eyes simultaneously. Thus, each patient is examined for ocular mobility, binocular cooperation, the structural integrity of the eyes and the need for glasses.

To achieve all this, the child may be asked to read cards, numbers or to play with us depending on his/her age. During the examination, we may need to dilate the pupil with eye drops, a procedure that takes about 40 minutes. When dilation is achieved, we will be able check the fundus of the eye and the child's need for glasses, even without the child's cooperation. The pupils will remain dilated for 3 to 6 hours after the examination. Thus, a typical test may take up to one hour and requires that you are patient and that you encourage the child.