Pediatric Eye Exams in Holland, MI

A full-picture eye exam, sized for your child.

Comprehensive pediatric eye exams check more than just whether your child can read the chart. We're looking at eye alignment, how the eyes work together, the prescription each eye needs, and the health of the front and back of the eye.

When to schedule an exam

Every child should have a basic vision check with their pediatrician at 1, 3, and 5 years of age. We recommend a comprehensive exam with a pediatric ophthalmologist in addition to those pediatric checks if:

• A vision screen has flagged anything — even mild
• You've noticed an eye turning, head tilting, or squinting
• There's a family history of amblyopia, strabismus, glasses at a young age, or retinoblastoma
• Your child was born premature or has a developmental condition
• Your child complains of headaches, eye strain, or blurred vision with reading

What a comprehensive exam includes

• Vision check — age-appropriate; we use picture charts for toddlers, letters when they're ready
• Alignment testing — cover-uncover testing, prism measurements, checking that the eyes work together
• Refraction — measuring each eye's prescription, typically after dilating drops in younger kids so the result is accurate
• Eye health exam — lids, cornea, iris, lens, and a dilated look at the retina and optic nerve
• Depth perception and color vision testing — as appropriate to age

What to bring and expect

New patient visits take 1 to 2 hours — most of that is for dilation to take effect. Bring current glasses, any prescription info, insurance cards, a parent ID, and a snack or comfort item for your child. After dilation, near vision is blurry and the eyes are light-sensitive for about 6 hours; we'll give you disposable sunglasses on the way out.

Our For Parents page has a step-by-step walkthrough of what to expect.

Insurance and billing

We accept most medical insurance. Whether a visit is billed medically or under vision insurance depends on the reason for the visit — a health-related eye concern is typically medical; a routine refraction may be vision. We'll help you sort out coverage before we start.