What is earliest age to take babies to optician?

[Wildpoppy]

Our very young baby (two weeks0 has I think the same vision as my dh - that is she def has one stronger eye and when she is tired she just opens one, which is just what my husband does. Obviously young babies don't wear glasses but at what age do you take children to the optician if you suspect this kind of thing?

i think at 2 weeks it would be far, far too early to tell tbh. she might just be being a baby and doing weird eye things!

if you're worried though I think your first port of call would be your HV. they can refer you to a paediatrician if necessary and I think you would access ophthalmologists etc through them rather than using a regular optician.

As pp said at that age talk to you hv/gp about it. our gp referred Harry at his 6 weeks check and we see the opthamologists at alder hey.

dd was referred at 6 weeks and started treatment from 8 weeks, she had a bilateral convergent squint.
She is now 7 and has no problems with her eyes.
If she had not had treatment as a young baby she may have lost the sight in one of her eyes,
I really would get it checked if your at all worried.
Dt2 had his checked at the hospital at 8 weeks too.

My dd was a bit squinty as a newborn. Could just be normal.

I recommend you go to the GP, describe the symptoms and the family history, and request a specialist referral to an opthalmologist. Some such conditions may be heritable, and you need the right intervention at the right time (which may be very early on), and you need the specialist to diagnose properly.

thank you that is good advice. Do you think it can wait until the 6 week check for me to mention - I seem to be there every other day otherwise and I think they will think I am absolutely bonkers.

I don't know whether waiting would make any difference.

But you have relevant family history, you are concerned, and it may take a while for the specialist appointment to come through. I suspect you'd feel better to get the ball rolling.

If you've an HV appt coming up or a drop in available, you could also ask for advice that way too.