Children’s Eye Exams in Winnipeg

Children should have their first eye exam before they are six months old. We also recommend that they have eye exams every year thereafter. It is particularly important for children to have their eyes examined at least once before entering pre-school, since vision greatly influences a child’s learning ability.

Once children are in grade school, we recommend that they have eye exams once every two years. However, children who meet the following conditions may require eye exams more frequently:

• Children who need corrective lenses (eyeglasses or contact lenses)
• Children who are undergoing vision therapy
• Children with ocular or general health conditions that demand frequent monitoring (such as diabetes)

Children’s eye exams are generally comfortable and quick, taking less than an hour to complete. The tests that we perform are non-invasive, especially for our younger patients.

We look for the development of ocular conditions and diseases during all eye exams. However, when examining children we also look for signs of developmental problems (such as strabismus), colour deficiency (which affects approximately 8% of boys and 0.5% of girls), proper eye teaming/coordination, and others.

Since children cannot always recognize their own vision problems, an eye exam is the most effective way to determine their visual health.

The eye exam is broken down into two parts: preliminary testing, and testing with an optometrist.

Preliminary tests include:

• Autorefractor: this test measures the shape of your eyes and provides a rough estimate of what prescription (if any) is needed for corrective lenses.
• Digital retinal imaging: we take a photo of your retina (the back of your eye). If you have been a patient of ours before, we then compare the result to images taken during other exams. This helps us identify eye diseases that may be developing and tells us about the health of your retina.

Tests performed with an optometrist include:

• Slit lamp exam: we check the surface of the eye with a magnifying glass and a bright light to look for abnormalities (such as the development of cataracts or when assessing persistent dry eye).
• Refraction test: we assess the corrective lens prescription needed to provide ideal vision.

We may also perform other tests as needed.

Manitoba Health provides financial coverage for one children’s eye exam every two years. Most insurance companies also provide allowances for eye exams.

We offer direct billing for several insurance and benefits providers, and can assist with your claims for other private insurers.