Q:  When should my child have her first eye exam?    Terri S., Carmel

A:  A child’s first eye exam should be between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Most parents are very surprised to learn this. However, there are many visual issues that can occur at that young age that can affect the development of your child. InfantSEE is a program where local eye doctors provide this comprehensive exam for free. Go to infantsee.org to see if your doctor performs these exams or to find a provider in your area. I would also like to add that the school screenings are not a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam. Although these are great tools for finding some of the more simple visual problems, there are many issues that cannot be detected by reading letters on a standard eye chart. These other issues include, but are not limited to, eye convergence, eye teaming and sustaining near focus, which also affect learning and the development of your child.

Tammy Wittmann, O.D., is the owner of Wittmann 20/20 Family Eye Care. For more information, call 843-2020 or e-mail twittmann@ wittmann2020.com.