Optician/toddler

[AngelinaK]

Hi there, my dd is 3 and she's got squint and long sighted in her left eye, got glasses 7 months ago, 2.00 + (nearly nothing in the other eye) but now she got 4.00 + in her left eye and 2.00 + , really strong prescription and I'm really worried if the 4.00 + is necessary so soon and if she needs 2.00 + for balance in the sort of healthy eye.
It's small and independent optician and wonder if they know what they r doing. They didn't do the test where the child looks into the machine and wonder if I should take her to the big chain like vision express? Anybody with experience on squint in toddlers?

Thank you xxx

My dd has a squint in one eye and her other eye is lazy. We have been patching to make the lazy eye work harder and it's made a huge difference. Glasses have not helped the squint realign at all so her name is down for the operation. When we noticed her squint we made a GP appointment and were referred to an eye clinic at the local hospital so that might be the best route for you.

I work in an opticians. It is common for young children to have a high prescription and goes pretty much hand in hand with a squint. It could be that the Optom is already increasing the prescription in stages, but they would probably have mentioned it. Not all opticians have an auto refractor (I think that's the machine you mean?) This gives a rough guideline of what the prescription is before the test, and although useful is not necessary. Also, all opticians have to undergo regular training to gain CET points to keep their qualification, so I would suggest that they do know what they're doing, but all optoms work differently. If you are unsure, you are within your rights to discuss the results with the Optom. Maybe request another appointment for a chat? It may help put your mind at ease?

Also, a lot of chains use mainly locum optoms, so continuity of care can be tricky. As someone with 9 years experience in the trade, I would choose an independent opticians if I had to go choose somewhere, as their reputation is really important to them- more so than someone who doesn't work in the same county! Hope this helps xx

My ds is 5, he had a squint but had surgery to correct in July. I'm not sure if its the same in your area, but all of his eye tests are done at the hospital, I assumed it was standard practice for younger children