Being able to see clearly is important for a child’s overall development. Most children have excellent sight and do not need to wear glasses. But if there are problems and these are not picked up at an early age, a child may have permanently reduced vision in one or both eyes. The earlier eye problems are picked up, the better the outcome will be.
Some children, but not all, may have vision screening at school (between the ages of four and five). However, if you have any concerns about your child’s eyes, do not wait for the vision screening at school. Take your child to a local optometrist, or speak to your health visitor, for a sight test.
Some reasons to take your child for a sight test include:
Children do not have to be able to read or talk to have their eyes examined. It is possible to find out whether a child has healthy eyes or needs glasses without asking them any questions. Eye examinations for children under 16 are paid for by the NHS.
Take a look at our infographic on the stages of development of your child’s eyes
You should make sure your child has a full eye examination if:
Even if you do not have a family history of eye problems or have not noticed any problems it is still important to take your child for a full sight test.
It is particularly important that a child has an eye examination if you notice that:
Flash photography can help detect some eye problems. When looking at photos of your child, if there is a red glow in the pupil of one eye only (sometimes referred to as photographic red eye), or if you see a white colour in their pupil, you should contact your optometrist for more information. In young children this could be a sign of a very rare and serious condition.
Babies can see when they are born, but their eyes don’t always focus well. A baby’s eyes may squint sometimes (they may not always line up with each other), but if their eyes always seem to squint this should be investigated.
Babies’ eyes develop gradually. After about six weeks they should be able to follow something colourful or interesting with their eyes. They may also smile back at someone who is not using sound to get their attention.
An easy test you can do at home when your baby is more than six weeks old is to see if their eyes follow you around a room. If they don’t seem to be able to focus on you properly, can’t follow you and recognise your facial gestures, or if their eyes wander when they are looking at you, it could suggest a problem.
You can also try covering each of your baby’s eyes in turn. If they object to having one eye covered more than the other, they may have problems seeing out of one eye. As they get older, you can start to point out objects both close up and far away. If they struggle to see the objects, contact
an optometrist for advice.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland the NHS pays for sight tests for children aged under 16, and those aged 16 to 18 who are in full-time education. In Scotland, the NHS pays for eye examinations for everyone. If your child needs glasses, the NHS will give you a voucher to help pay for them. This may cover the full cost of the glasses, or you can put it towards the cost of more expensive ones. You can take the voucher to any optometrist or dispensing optician (a person who sells prescription glasses).
Children aged under 16 can only have their glasses dispensed by, or under the supervision of, a registered optometrist, dispensing optician or doctor. You can check if your optometrist or dispensing optician is registered with the General Optical Council.
It’s important to protect your child’s eyes in the sun. Make sure your child’s sunglasses have UV protection and carry the British Standard (BS EN ISO 12312-1:2013) or UKCA mark. You can also protect your child’s eyes by making sure they wear a hat with a brim or a sun visor in bright sunlight.
Last reviewed: November 2024
