A pediatric eye doctor is a type of optometrist who specializes in caring for the eyes of children. Suppose you have a child who complains about his or her vision. In that case, you might be looking for a pediatric eye doctor since, in some situations, getting an eye exam from a pediatric ophthalmologist in Riverside, NY might be necessary.
What Makes a Pediatric Eye Doctor Different?
To answer this question, we have to discuss the types of eye doctors in Suffolk. Your child will see either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. While both can perform eye exams and write prescriptions for corrective lenses, an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor, while an optometrist is not. This means that more advanced medical concerns or treatments will require an ophthalmologist.
A pediatric eye doctor is generally a pediatric ophthalmologist, or a doctor specializing in children’s eyes and vision. They are medical professionals who perform diagnostics on eye problems in infants, children, and adolescents.The needs of a child’s eyes are quite different than the needs of an adult’s eyes. They have different needs because children’s eyes are still growing, and their vision is still developing. As a child grows, eye problems like lazy eyes, crossed eyes, nearsightedness, or farsightedness can develop and, if left untreated, can cause issues with the physical development of the eye or vision.
In New York, pediatric eye doctors are well trained in this developmental process. Because of this extra training, they can easily recognize signs or symptoms that a more general doctor might miss. However, optometrists can successfully treat children even if they do not receive this specialized medical training. In fact, the vast majority of children can be treated by their family’s Riverside optometrist. However, if a child shows specific symptoms, they will most likely be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist for further evaluation or treatment.
How Often Should A Child Be Seen?
Your child’s pediatrician will start monitoring their vision early on. This monitoring begins right at birth. Throughout infancy, pediatricians regularly check the eyes for signs of developmental problems as a part of each well-child exam that your child receives. Your doctor is trained to look for common issues in very young children and will refer your child to an ophthalmologist if they feel it is necessary.
In the absence of any concerns, your child should have an eye exam performed by either an optometrist or ophthalmologist before they start school in Suffolk. After that, they should see an eye doctor for an exam at least once every two years until they are 20. Of course, if your child has eye concerns or needs corrective lenses, this time frame does not apply. In that case, they will need to be seen a minimum of once a year.
Common Conditions/Concerns for Children
Children in Riverside, NY are just as likely as adults are to suffer from near/ farsightedness or astigmatism. Your regular family Riverside optometrist can treat many children who have these conditions with success. However, children are not simply small adults, and their eyes have different needs. After all, these are eyes that are still developing, and as a result, there are several other eye conditions that can affect children.
Childhood eye conditions can include:
Typically any one of these concerns will need a referral to a Long Island pediatric ophthalmologist who can more easily treat or correct these issues.
Parents who suspect any of these vision problems will often seek out a pediatric eye doctor in Riverside, NY just to make sure their young child is more comfortable with the process. A general optometrist may struggle to properly diagnose upset or uncooperative children, while a doctor specializing in treating children may be more successful with young patients. However, optometrists are trained to treat the most common childhood eye conditions such as amblyopia and can be a great choice if your child does not require a lot of medical intervention.
If your pediatrician mentioned a concern at your child’s yearly well visit or you have noticed that your little one is squinting, it might be time to see a Suffolk pediatric eye doctor. As with most things related to children – including their healthcare – it can be challenging to wade through all of the available information concerning their eyesight.
At North Shore Advanced Eye Care, we can help you answer any questions you might have about your child’s vision. Call or visit our website at https://www.nsaec.com or call us at 631-642-2020 today!