What to Expect at a Child’s Eye Exam

Triangle Ophthalmology, PA prides itself on a thorough comprehensive eye examination.  You and your child can expect to spend between one to two hours at your child’s initial appointment depending on the needs.

We use a team approach to working up each new patient.  That means, you may spend time with a fully trained technician as well as the doctor.  We will evaluate your child’s vision first.  If your child does not know the alphabet yet, vision can be assessed with pictures, numbers, or simply behavior.

Next, we will check your child’s pupils, peripheral vision, eye movements, and stereo vision (3 D vision).  Drops will then be placed in the eyes to enable the doctor to assess the health of the back of the eye and also offer a correct refraction (glasses prescription). It takes between 20-30 minutes for the drops to have their maximal effect.  While this is taking place, your child may play in the waiting area.

These dilating drops may keep the pupils large and blur near vision for up to 10 hours or longer (although it typically lasts no longer then 4 hours).

Sometimes the doctor will obtain additional testing depending on what is found in the exam.