What is involved in an eye exam for a toddler (3 years old)? She has a "lazy eye" and has been referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist. We would like to prepare her for what to expect at the appointment.
A lazy eye is a potentially serious condition that must be corrected as early as possible as it can lead to dis-use atrophy or amblyopia as it is called. A pediatric ophthalmologist is usually a great person who is child-friendly and can conduct the eye exam without the child even knowing he/she is being examined. Efforts will be made to quantify the vision of each eye, rule out other ocular problems, establish the causation of the lazy eye, and formulate a plan to fix the problem in a timely manner. Once the child with a lazy eye reaches the age of 11 there is very little that can ever be done to restore the sight in the lazy eye. I urge you to follow up with the pediatric ophthalmologist as quickly as you can.
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