Rebecca Brayton: Make sure your children see right from the start. Optometrists know your eyes inside and out and have the information to ensure your children's eye and vision health. Hi, I am Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com. Today, we're speaking with Dr. Langis Michaud, member of the Canadian Association of Optometrists about the children's eye health. At what age should children have their first eye exam?
Dr. Langis Michaud: At six months. That seem to be too early in life but at that age, visually each eye is developed to its normal status from six month to eight years. Vision development ends at eight years old. Earlier is the detection of the disease, earlier is the treatment, better is the outcome.
Rebecca Brayton: What are the signs that may indicate my child has a vision problem?
Dr. Langis Michaud: To do not look at specific things, to do not react if something is moving around them, to just patching on eye with their hand if they are looking at something, to begin to cry if someone is just patching on eye and the other one for sure is not able to see. Additionally, the children will not be symptomatic because for them, it's natural vision, they were born like that, they cannot compared with what could be a normal or a better vision, so they won't complain about anything. So just a through exam will determine if the vision first and the ocular health second, is normal for a given children.
Rebecca Brayton: What do we do to protect our children's eyes?
Dr. Langis Michaud: First of all, stimulation to see things, to present object to babies, Second; to play with safe tools, alleviate any kind of small particle, do not point laser pointer for example to the eyes of someone else, do not play with arrows or something that can be enter in the eye by accident.
Rebecca Brayton: How would I go about finding an optometrist for my child if I don't already have one?
Dr. Langis Michaud: By reference of your friends, that's probably the best way to find in your neighborhood, who is the best for your children, but if you don't have any clue, just go to the Canadian Association of Optometrists website www.opto.ca, by town, by province, you can find competitive optometrists for your children.
Rebecca Brayton: Thank you very much.
Dr. Langis Michaud: You're welcome.
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