Children’s Eye Care

With our lead Optometrist being experienced in working at Croydon University Hospital Eye Unit in the Children’s clinic and probably the largest range of childrens spectacle frames in Croydon, fitted by only qualified Dispensing Opticians, we feel there is no better place to look after your children’s eyecare.

As a parent, you need to remember that your child‘s visual development affects development and growth in other areas. With such importance on children‘s eye care, all of our optometrists are experienced in the testing of children and understand the issues surrounding a child who first requires glasses or contact lenses.

We are also accredited to see Children who have failed there school vision test.

All children under the age of 16 receive free NHS eye tests.

Regular eye tests are important for children‘s eye care. Children can be tested at any age and an eye test is lots of fun. It is recommended that a child has a full eye examination before they start school and start learning to read. Often, vision problems can be the reason a child does not perform well at school, for example because they cannot see the board. The earlier a problem is detected the more chance there is of successful treatment. Children‘s eyes are fully developed by the time they are 8 years old so it is very important to have any problems detected before this.

1 in 5 children have an undetected eye problem, which can be easily found by us during an eye test. This is equivalent to 1 million children going back to school with an undiagnosed eye problem.

Most schools in Croydon will provide vision screening checks for children, but it is not a full eye examination. If a child fails their school vision test, they are referred to an accredited Optician, such as ourselves for a full eye examination. These appointments are vital because if left undetected for too long, some sight defects cannot be corrected, but if detected early enough we can ensure children‘s eye problems have a minimum impact on their lives.

It is also vital that the child is seen by an Optometrist who is well experienced in examining young children’s eyes. We exam young children’s eyes differently to adults. Unlike us, they cannot answer questions about what they see more clearly and what they see more blurred. We exam their eyes by putting drops in their eyes to relax their focus. These drops can take upto 2 hours to work, after which by shinning a light into their eyes using an instrument called a Retinoscope, we can see exactly how they focus. This is a skill which all Optometrists know, however experience is very importanat.

A full eye examination is a thorough, and also includes:

• Personal and family history
• Measuring your childs vision using our computerised test chart which is able to show number, small letter as well as capital, picture matching and letter matching
• Relevant health checks carried out by looking inside the eyes
• Particular attention given to investigating squints and ‘lazy eyes’
• Eye muscle balance checked to ensure correct coordination
• Additional tests if required including colour vision and 3D vision.

Choosing the right frame

Choosing the right frame choice for your child is even more important than adults because your child is undergoing a period of rapid growth and a frame that does not fit properly can create more damage to the vision. It is important that they look good but it is vital that they fit properly. Our frames are fitted by our qualified Dispensing Optician to ensure the best possible fit.

The majority of our children’s glasses are covered by the NHS voucher.

Contact Lenses

The fact is most children and especially teens CAN wear contact lenses. For those with very sporty or active lifestyles, wearing contact lenses can have a big and positive impact on day-to-day life for your child.

The eye centre have in-house experts to discuss contact lenses with your child, whether for occasional (sporting activities, socialising etc) or regular use.

In fact, if your child is short-sighted, OVC contact lenses can even help stop the progress of their Myopia.  See here for more details.

Please contact us for further information.