No, this is a common misconception. Children can be examined at any age. Children’s eye specialists can use a variety of methods to check both the vision and health of your child’s eyes, even if the child is not old enough to communicate. As your child’s reading and communication skills develop, the eye examination will be adapted accordingly.

A routine examination of children at a specialised paediatric eye clinic is important for every child and must be done by the age of one year. If there is an obvious eye problem noticed, it should be checked immediately.

From the moment a baby is born, its vision develops up to 2 years of age. Depth perception and other finer details continue to develop till they are a little older. If by this time, the child cannot see clearly due to any reason, it is abnormal visual development and needs to be addressed. 

Sometimes a visual defect may go undetected even in a normal-looking child. The eyes may appear normal now but when they go to school, they are detected to have poor vision (and in many situations, the condition is irreversible). It is recommended that a child undergoes routine eye checkup by a paediatric eye specialist, as early as possible. The earlier a defect is detected, the faster it is rectified, the better the results will be and any further loss of vision will be prevented.

The eye examination and visual assessment of a child by a general eye specialist is limited to a superficial examination due to the lack of specialised equipment, facilities and expertise.

Only a children’s eye specialist with expertise in treating children’s eye problems/diseases can make a proper diagnosis and plan suitable treatment. Further, special facilities for children are available in eye care centres for children, since eye examination methods and treatment differ from children to adults. In fact, surgeries in the case of children require special skills and training.

It's best to follow the advice of your doctor, as this will depend on the age and condition of your child’s eyes. As a general rule, children’s eyes should be tested at least once every six months

Not necessarily.  However, it is more likely, as eye conditions can be inherited so it is advisable to have your children’s eyes examined regularly at least every six months. If a member of the immediate family wears glasses, then it's advisable to have the whole family checked regularly by an eye specialist. The child should be examined as early as 2-3 years of age.

It depends on whether your child is long or short-sighted. If your child is long-sighted (cannot see close things, clearly), they may only need glasses for a short while, to control the symptoms of the prescription. However, if your child is short-sighted (cannot see things at a distance clearly), likely, they will likely always need to wear glasses— their power will probably increase over time as they grow up.