Eye Doctor Definitions: What are Optometrists, Ophthalmologists and Opticians?

An optometrist (OD) is a specialized eye doctor who examines eyes for both vision and health problems, prescribes glasses, and fits contact lenses. Optometrists prescribe many ophthalmic medications and participate in your pre- and postoperative care if you have eye surgery. An optometrist must complete four years of post-graduate optometry school.
An ophthalmologist (MD) is a surgeon who specializes in the eye. They perform eye exams, treat disease, prescribe medication, and perform surgery. They may also write prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses.
An optician is not an eye doctor, but in some states they must complete training and be licensed. And in some states they can become certified, after special training, to fit contact lenses. Most opticians sell and fit eyeglasses, sunglasses, and specialty eyewear that are made to an optometrist's or ophthalmologist's prescription.

What can you do as a Parent about your Child’s vision?

As a parent or caretaker, you may wonder whether your pre-schooler has a vision problem or when it may be appropriate to schedule your child's first eye exam. You should be aware that eye exams for children are extremely important, because 5%-10% of pre-schoolers and 25% of school-aged children have vision problems.* Early identification of a child's vision problem can be crucial because children often are more responsive to treatment when they are diagnosed early.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), infants should have their first comprehensive eye exam at six months of age. Children then should receive additional eye exams at three years of age, and just before they enter kindergarten or the first grade at about age five or six. For school-aged children, the AOA recommends an eye exam every two years if no vision correction is required. Children who need eyeglasses or contact lenses should be examined annually or according to eye doctor recommendations. Early eye exams also are important because children need the following basic skills related to good eyesight for learning:

Near vision
Distance vision
Binocular (two eyes) coordination
Eye movement skills
Focusing skills
Peripheral awareness
Eye/hand coordination

For these reasons Missouri now requires an eye exam for all children entering school for the first time beginning July 2008. If you're like most parents, you haven't had your infant to the eye doctor for an exam; after all, babies can't even read an eye chart. However, doctors have special tests for infants and toddlers that help them to diagnose conditions that are generally invisible to the naked eye. Plus, treating these conditions early decreases the chances that they will develop into more serious or even permanent problems. 

"I don't think parents understand that it's not just for their children's visual development," All About Vision advisory board member Valerie Kattouf, O.D., told HealthScout.com, "but for their academic development, for their gross motor development, for their hand-eye coordination skills; it's so important that these things are treated early."

The American Optometric Association recommends you schedule routine eye exams for your child at six months, at three years and before he or she enters school.

 
What is InfantSEE & Why should I take my baby to an InfantSEE® provider?

An InfantSEE® assessment between six and 12 months of age is recommended to determine if an infant is at risk for eye or vision disorders. Since many eye problems arise from conditions that can be identified by an eye doctor in the infant’s first year of life, a parent can give an infant a great gift by seeking an InfantSEE® assessment in addition to the wellness evaluation of the eyes that is done by a pediatrician or family practice doctor.

One in every 10 children is at risk from undiagnosed eye and vision problems, yet only 13 percent of mothers with children younger than 2 years of age said they had taken their babies to see an eye and vision care professional for a regular check-up or well-care visit. Moreover, many children at risk for eye and vision problems are not being identified at an early age, when many of those problems might be prevented or more easily corrected. Some 4.02 million children were born in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In approximately 4 percent, strabismus will develop, and amblyopia will develop in 3 percent–this equates to as many as 100,000 infants born each year who are at risk for serious eye and vision problems.

Optometry has stepped forward to accept its public health role and make a significant contribution to our society in the area of infants’ eye and vision health. To that end, the American Optometric Association, with The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. as a working partner, launched InfantSEE®, a first-of-its-kind national program to provide children professional eye and vision care earlier in life. The program addresses the early childhood segment of the pre-school population, providing no-cost infant eye and vision assessments before the age of one year.