At what age should you take your child to the eye doctor, if your child seems completely normal?

Before preschool: You can eliminate most problems by looking at your child's pictures. If "red eye" is consistent and appears in both eyes all the time, you can wait until number and letter recognition develop. If one eye is always "red" and the other dark, consistently - you should take your child in quickly. Most kids are tested in schools and will be sent for evaluation if the vision seems disturbed.

Pre-school: If the parents and pediatrician see no signs of poor development or function, it is probably wise to have your child examined by an eyemd before starting school. If a family history of early childhood or congenital eye disease exists, an exam can and should be done any time during childhood, from infancy on!

Early!: Since 'lazy eye' issues start early, and become permanent by the age of 8 or 9, it is best to have a complete eye exam sometime around the age of 6.