Last updated 2026-02-17

When Should My Child See an Eye Doctor? A Complete Schedule

When Should My Child See an Eye Doctor? A Complete Schedule

Why eye checks matter — even when your child seems fine

Here’s something that surprises many parents: young children almost never tell you they can’t see well. A child who sees the world blurry through one eye has no idea that’s not normal — it’s the only way they’ve ever seen. They won’t complain that the board at school is fuzzy, because they don’t know it should be sharp. [Source: src6]

This is why regular eye checks are so important. Not because something is probably wrong — most children’s eyes are perfectly healthy — but because the problems that do occur are often invisible from the outside and much easier to treat when caught early.

The best example is amblyopia, often called “lazy eye.” This is when one eye doesn’t develop normal vision, usually because the brain starts ignoring it in favor of the other eye. If caught before around age six or seven, treatment is usually simple and effective — glasses, an eye patch worn over the stronger eye, or special eye drops. But if missed past that window, the vision loss can become permanent, because the brain has finished its “wiring” for vision and can no longer learn to use that eye properly. [Sources: src1, src11]

In Japan, this urgency has led to a national campaign called “STOP! 弱視見逃し” (STOP! Missing Amblyopia) to ensure no child’s lazy eye goes undetected at the 3-year-old checkup. [Source: src5]

Think of eye checks like dental checkups: most visits, everything is fine, and you leave with peace of mind. But the one time something is caught early, you’ll be deeply grateful you went.

Screening schedules around the world

Different places organize children’s eye screening differently, but they agree on the key moments. Here is a combined guide drawing from guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the UK National Health Service (NHS), Japan’s 日本眼科医会 (Japanese Ophthalmologists Association) and 日本弱視斜視学会 (Japanese Association of Strabismus and Amblyopia), and Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB), which runs one of the world’s most successful national children’s eye care programs:

At birth: Newborn eye check

What happens: Before leaving the hospital, a doctor or nurse shines a small light into each of your baby’s eyes to check for the red reflex — that same red glow you see in flash photos. They’re checking that the glow is present, even, and the same in both eyes. They’ll also look at the eyes from outside for any obvious structural problems. [Sources: src2, src7]

What it can find: Congenital cataracts (clouding of the lens), retinoblastoma (eye cancer), structural problems, congenital glaucoma (dangerous pressure inside the eye). [Source: src2]

How it works in different places:

• US: The AAO recommends a red reflex test as part of the newborn exam. [Source: src7]
• UK: Part of the NHS Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE), done within 72 hours of birth. [Source: src3]
• Japan: Included in the 1-month infant health checkup (1か月児健診). [Source: src5]
• Singapore: The Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) school-based vision screening begins from Kindergarten 1 (around age 4–5). For newborns and infants, screening is handled through the hospital and well-baby visit system. [Source: src13]

For parents: This is a quick, painless check. You may not even notice it happening as part of the general newborn exam. It’s worth asking your medical team whether it was done, just to be sure. [Source: src2]

6 weeks to 12 months: Early infant checks

What happens: During routine well-baby visits, the doctor repeats the red reflex test and checks that your baby’s eyes are working together — both eyes move in the same direction, the pupils are equal in size and respond to light, and the eyes don’t appear crossed or misaligned. [Sources: src7, src8]

What it can find: Strabismus (misaligned eyes — when one eye points in a different direction from the other), significant problems with how the eye focuses light, and eye diseases that weren’t visible at birth. [Source: src6]

How it works in different places:

• US: The AAO recommends another screening between 6 and 12 months. [Source: src7]
• UK: A follow-up eye check at the 6-to-8-week review by a GP or health visitor. [Source: src3]
• Japan: Included in the 3-4 month and 6-7 month infant health checkups. [Source: src5]

For parents: By about 3 months, your baby should be able to fix their eyes on your face and follow a moving toy. By 6 months, their eyes should move together smoothly. It’s normal for a newborn’s eyes to occasionally cross or wander in the first few months — but if this is still happening after 4 to 6 months, mention it to your doctor. [Source: src6]

3 years old: A critical checkpoint

This is one of the most important screening moments in your child’s life for eye health.

What happens: Your child gets their first real vision test — checking whether each eye can see clearly on its own. Children don’t need to know letters; tests use simple shapes, pictures, or a ring with a gap (called a Landolt C) that the child points in the direction of. Each eye is tested separately by covering the other. [Sources: src1, src4]

What it can find: This is the key screening for amblyopia (lazy eye) and for refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism — when the eye doesn’t bend light quite right, causing blurry vision). If one eye sees much worse than the other and this isn’t corrected, the brain may start ignoring the weaker eye. [Sources: src1, src6]

How it works in different places:

• US: The AAO recommends formal visual acuity testing starting between ages 3 and 5. [Source: src1]
• UK: In Scotland, universal pre-school orthoptic vision screening is offered. In England and Wales, there’s less consistency — some areas screen at preschool, others only at school entry. [Source: src12]
• Japan: This is the 3歳児健診 (3-year-old health checkup), mandated by the Mother and Child Health Law. Japan’s approach is unique and worth knowing about: parents first do a simple vision test at home using materials sent by the local government, then bring the results to a secondary screening at a health center. Children who don’t pass are referred to an ophthalmologist. Since 2022, instrument-based screening (using devices that can detect focusing problems without the child needing to answer questions) has been increasingly introduced alongside the traditional home test. [Source: src4]

For parents: If your child hasn’t had any kind of eye screening by age 3, please make it happen. This is the window where catching amblyopia can still lead to excellent outcomes. If your child is uncooperative during the test (very normal at this age!), the doctor can often try instrument-based screening instead, or simply try again in a few weeks. Don’t skip it just because the first attempt was difficult. [Sources: src1, src4]

4 to 5 years: School entry

What happens: Another vision screening, often conducted at school or as part of a school-entry health check. [Sources: src1, src3]

How it works in different places:

• US: The AAO recommends screening before school entry. [Source: src1]
• UK: Vision screening is commonly offered during the first year of school (age 4–5). About 1 in 10 children don’t pass this first test. However, this screening doesn’t happen everywhere in the UK, so if your child’s school doesn’t offer it, take them to an optician — it’s free for under-16s. [Sources: src3, src8]
• Japan: Vision screening is part of school health examinations (学校保健安全法に基づく健康診断) conducted annually for all students. [Source: src5]
• Singapore: This is where Singapore’s system really shines. The National Myopia Prevention Programme (NMPP), run by the Health Promotion Board since 2001, screens children from Kindergarten 1 through Primary 4 with annual vision screening. Children aged seven and below who are found to have defective vision are referred to HPB’s refraction clinics for assessment by trained optometrists. About 1 in 7 preschoolers in Singapore has defective vision detected through this program. [Sources: src13, src14]

For parents: This is when myopia (nearsightedness) — difficulty seeing things far away clearly — often starts to appear. If your child begins squinting, holding books close, complaining of headaches, or having trouble seeing the board, get their eyes checked. Myopia can progress quickly in children, and there are now proven strategies to slow it down. [Source: src1]

6 to 18 years: Ongoing checks

What happens: Regular vision screening continues, with frequency depending on where you live and your child’s risk factors. [Source: src1]

Recommendations by region:

• US (AAO): Vision screening every 1 to 2 years through adolescence. [Source: src1]
• UK (NHS): An eye test every 2 years (free for all children under 16). In Scotland, annual tests are recommended. [Sources: src3, src12]
• Japan: Annual school-based vision screening for all students from elementary through high school. [Source: src5]
• Singapore: Continued annual screening through the NMPP. And the results prove that prevention works: since the program began in 2001, myopia prevalence among Primary 1 students dropped from 33% to 26%, and high myopia in primary school students fell from 2.3% to 1.4%. Singapore may be one of the first places in the world to actually reverse a rising myopia trend. [Sources: src13, src14]

For parents: If your child wears glasses, annual eye exams are especially important because prescriptions can change rapidly during growth years. Also, in today’s world of screens and homework, encourage your child to follow the 20-20-2 guideline: every 20 minutes of close-up work, look at something far away for 20 seconds, and aim for at least 2 hours of outdoor time each day. Research shows outdoor time has a protective effect against myopia. Singapore takes this so seriously that their Early Childhood Development Agency requires preschools with full-day services to provide at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, with at least 30 minutes outdoors. [Sources: src1, src13]

When to go outside the regular schedule

No matter what the routine schedule says, take your child for an eye exam right away if you notice:

• A white, gray, or yellow glow in the pupil (see our article on white pupil / leukocoria)
• Eyes that don’t point the same direction — one turns in, out, up, or down while the other looks straight
• Eyes that look different sizes, or one eyelid droops noticeably
• Persistent watering or discharge from one or both eyes
• Extreme sensitivity to light
• Not following objects with their eyes by 3 months of age
• Tilting or turning their head to look at things
• Squinting, closing one eye, or rubbing eyes a lot
• Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
• Trouble reading, losing their place, or avoiding close-up work
• Sitting very close to the TV or holding screens very close to their face

[Sources: src1, src7, src6]

Children with certain conditions or family backgrounds should have more frequent and earlier comprehensive exams. These include: premature birth (born early), Down syndrome, juvenile arthritis (joint inflammation in children), neurofibromatosis (a genetic condition), or a family history of retinoblastoma, childhood cataracts, glaucoma, amblyopia, or strabismus. [Source: src1]

Quick reference table

[Sources: src1, src2, src3, src4, src7]

Helping your child through an eye exam

Young children can feel nervous about eye exams, especially if drops are involved. Here are some tips from eye care professionals:

• Talk about it beforehand using simple, positive words: “The eye doctor is going to look at your eyes with a special little light to make sure they’re healthy and strong.”
• Bring a comfort item — a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
• Practice at home by pointing at shapes or pictures from across the room, and covering one eye at a time (the Japanese 3歳児健診 actually encourages parents to practice the vision test at home before the screening day). [Source: src4]
• If drops are needed, explain that they might feel a tiny bit stingy for a moment. Some children do better lying down and having the drops put in the inner corner of their closed eye, then opening up to let them roll in.
• Stay calm yourself. Children are remarkably good at picking up your mood. If you treat the visit as routine and boring, they’re more likely to feel that way too.
• Don’t force it. A good children’s eye doctor has seen it all. They have tricks, they have patience, and they can always try again in a few weeks if today isn’t working.

[Sources: src2, src4]

⚕️ Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The screening schedule described here draws from guidelines by several national and international organizations, but recommendations may vary by country, region, and individual circumstances. Please consult your child’s doctor to determine what’s right for your family.

Sources

1. American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). “Pediatric Eye Evaluations Preferred Practice Pattern.” Ophthalmology, 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10680450/
2. World Health Organization (WHO). “Vision and Eye Screening Implementation Handbook.” 2024.
3. NHS (UK). “Eye tests for children.” 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/eye-tests-in-children/
4. 日本弱視斜視学会. “3歳児健康診査における視覚検査について.” 2023. https://www.jasa-web.jp/general/about-3sai
5. 日本眼科医会. “乳幼児・学校保健関連情報.” 2023. https://www.gankaikai.or.jp/school-health/
6. “Pediatric Vision Screening.” Pediatrics in Review, 2018. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6317790/
7. American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). “Eye Screening for Children.” 2025.
8. NHS (UK). “Healthier Together: Eye Screening and Tests.” 2024.
9. 衛生福利部國民健康署. “兒童視力篩檢及矯治指引.” 2020.
10. 衛生福利部. “護眼123.” 2019. https://www.mohw.gov.tw/cp-3794-41061-1.html
11. 群馬県教育委員会/群馬県医師会. “幼児・児童生徒の眼科健康診断の手引き.” 2021.
12. NHS Scotland. “Pre-school vision screening.” 2025. https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/routine-tests-and-examinations/pre-school-vision-screening/
13. Chua SY, et al. “School-based programme to address childhood myopia in Singapore.” Singapore Medical Journal, 2019. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8027142/
14. Ministry of Health, Singapore. “Effectiveness of National Myopia Prevention Programme’s Strategies for Primary School Students.” 2024. https://www.moh.gov.sg/newsroom/effectiveness-of-national-myopia-prevention-programme-s-strategies-for-primary-school-students