So, you’ve scheduled an eye exam for your child with an optometrist or pediatric ophthalmologist – ideally, it’s one of the three they need before they’re age five (six months, 3 years, 5 years). Now, how do you prepare to make the most of the appointment?
We recommend you start by asking the following five questions, and if you answer positively to any, write some notes with specific examples to share with the doctor.
5 Questions:
- Have you noticed your child holding his head in an unusual way?
- How does your child act when she is around bright lights or sunlight?
- Does your child reach for toys and other objects? What about when one eye is covered?
- Does your child hold objects close to one or both eyes?
- Have you seen a white, opaque, or yellow spot in the pupil of one or both eyes in flash photos?
Be sure to check your photos, or take some new photos of your child before the appointment. The Glow may not show up in every photo, so look back at past photos as well. Follow these three steps when taking photos:
- Make sure the flash is turned ON
- Red eye reduction is turned OFF
- And your child is looking directly at the camera
If you find the glow once, be alert, but if you’ve seen it twice and in the same eye, be active!
If after your appointment, you feel there is a need for follow up, request an appointment with a specialist (an optometrist or pediatric ophthalmologist) for a comprehensive eye exam, including a “red reflex test.” Insist on having a dilated exam conducted by an ophthalmologist – someone who is specialized to look in the back of the eye when it is dilated.
And be sure to bring any photos showing The Glow to your appointment.
The Glow could be an indicator of more than 20 diseases and conditions, most of which are completely correctable or curable, so don’t panic at the first Google results you see. Trust that you’re doing the right thing by taking your child in for an eye exam, and preparing ahead of time with this checklist.
Know the Glow exists to provide education and information to parents about these eye diseases. Reach out to us if you have questions or just need support. Find us on Facebook, or please feel free to send us an email.