Children’s Eye Care — Pediatric Vision

Children’s care with Dr. Ayesha Burns

Dr. Burns enjoys working with children and families. A UC Berkeley-trained optometrist, she has experience in pediatric care and specialty contact-lens fitting, including scleral lenses. Meet Dr. Burns and our team.

What should parents watch for?

Squinting, closing one eye, frequent headaches, difficulty seeing the board, or avoiding near work can be reasons for an exam. These behaviors have many possible causes and do not by themselves establish a diagnosis. An eye that turns inward or outward also deserves assessment.

A white pupil, sudden vision change, significant pain, marked swelling, or new unequal pupils with other symptoms needs prompt medical assessment. Contact us about urgency; use emergency care for severe or sudden symptoms. Read our urgent-eye-care guidance.

What we check

We assess vision in each eye, refractive error, eye alignment and movements, and eye health. Conditions include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, amblyopia, and strabismus. Suspected retinal disease, uveitis, or complex pediatric conditions may require coordinated ophthalmology care.

When should a child have an exam?

The timing depends on age, development, family history, screening results, and symptoms. A failed vision screening or a parent’s concern is a reason to arrange an evaluation. A pediatrician’s screening is valuable, but it has a different purpose from a comprehensive eye examination. We help plan the right schedule for your child.

For professional guidance, see the AOA’s preschool vision guidance. Recommendations can differ between organizations; children with risk factors or symptoms need an individualized plan.

Myopia management

If a child is becoming more nearsighted, we discuss ways to slow progression and measure eye growth with our biometer. At Midtown, our usual order of discussion is Stellest spectacle lenses, MiSight 1 day contacts, and 0.05% atropine when appropriate. Our myopia-management guide explains the options and links directly to the randomized trials.

Preparing for the visit

• Choose a time when your child is usually alert and comfortable.
• Bring current glasses, previous eye records, a medication list, and insurance information.
• Explain that the visit involves looking at pictures or letters and checking the eyes with lights.
• Ask our team how much time to allow; some visits need dilating drops and additional testing.
• Bring sunglasses. Drops can cause temporary blur and light sensitivity, sometimes lasting into the next day.

Use our first-visit checklist for the rest of your preparation.

Insurance and follow-up

We accept VSP and Medicare. Whether a visit is a vision benefit or medical service depends on the reason for the visit and the plan. Our team can clarify benefits and expected charges before planned care. Insurance and payment information.

Plan your child’s eye visit