Pediatric Eye Care in Evanston, IL
Young, developing eyes need special care. Trust your child’s eye health to Evanston Eye Wellness.
Healthy eyes and clear vision are essential for success. That’s why getting the right pediatric eye care at an early age is so important. We want to make it easy for you as a parent to get your child’s eyes the care they deserve.
At Evanston Eye Wellness, we take our job of helping kids and their parents very seriously. As members of the InfantSEE program, we provide no-cost comprehensive infant eye and vision assessment within the first year of life. Plus, OPTOS retinal screening technology is free for every child age 18 and younger.
Book an appointment for your child online or by calling (847) 859-6877.
When Should Your Child Get an Eye Exam?
With the visual health of a child being such an important factor in their growth and development, it is crucial that you know when your child should get eye exams.
About 25 percent of school-aged children have some type of vision problem, and even 5 to 10 percent have vision issues at preschool age. Therefore, regular exams from an early age are necessary.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), an eye exam should be done at six months of age, at three-years-old, when they start school, and then every year after that.
About Infant Eye Exams
Watch the video below to learn more about the importance of having your child’s eye examined at an early age.
The staff at Evanston Eye Wellness realizes that your child may be apprehensive about an eye exam, particularly the first one! We do our best alleviate any exam room jitters so that your child can cooperate fully with the examination.
And no worries if your child is too shy to speak! Dr. LaBrosse is a pro in getting information in a fun, non-verbal way.
Here’s what you can expect for your visit:
- Your visit typically starts with paperwork. Parents have the option of filling out forms in advance of the appointment so that they can keep their full attention on their little ones.
- Next, your child will be taken back for Optos retinal images (typically ages 4-18). This is an important step as it may eliminate the need for eye drops at the appointment.The images are a lot of fun and completely non-invasive. Children usually get a kick out of seeing a photo of the inside of their eye and the images help the doctor conduct a thorough health examination without the side effects of pupil dilation.
- After the retinal images are taken, Dr. LaBrosse begins the examination. The child may opt to sit on a parent’s lap or sit in the exam chair on her own. The exam and tests we perform are customized to the age level and responsiveness of the child.
Occasionally, Dr. LaBrosse may find that certain aspects of the examination would yield better results if the child were dilated (for instance, to better determine a prescription for glasses or evaluate an eye turn). Your child may be appointed for this testing at a separate visit.
Common Pediatric Vision Challenges
There are several eye health concerns with children, and close monitoring with regular eye exams helps diagnose conditions early so treatment is most effective.
Some specific eye health issues that affect children include:
- Strabismus or crossed eyes
- Visual developmental issues
- Problems with proper focusing
- Nearsightedness or farsightedness
- Irregular eye movement
- Eye injuries
We provide a full-service optical with a range of optical solutions for children birth and up, as well as sport/safety eyewear for protection. Further, we offer myopia control and guidance to keep your child’s visual system healthy.
Keep an Eye On Your Child’s Vision With Our Help
Our team, including Deana LaBrosse, OD who developed the optometric service at Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, has the skill and experience with children to take the worry out of keeping their eyes healthy.