My child sees our pediatrician regularly -- does he/she need to have a separate eye examination anyway? And who should perform that eye examination?

Pediatricians regularly check each child’s eyes throughout infancy and childhood, beginning with the red reflex test right after birth. Vision screening occurs at the age of three or four years old and regularly after that time. If the pediatrician does not feel that there is any problem with the eyes or the vision, and the parents agree, there is no need for a special eye examination. On the other hand, if the parents, teachers, or pediatrician feel that there is any issue that might be vision-related, it is very important to have a full eye examination, preferably by a pediatric ophthalmologist -- a medical doctor and surgeon specialized in children’s eye care. In rural areas, an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor) or an optometrist (a non-physician eye doctor) can also do basic examinations on children’s eyes, but may refer to a pediatric ophthalmologist if a serious problem is found.  more