First we instill an eye drop in your infant/child’s eyes. This opens the pupil and relaxes the focusing muscle of the eye. Then, while looking at the retina (the light sensing part of the eye) with an instrument called a retinoscope, lenses of varying powers are placed in front of the eye. The proper lens will focus the beam of light from the retinoscope directly onto the retina. This is how we measure the refractive error, or glasses prescription.

We prescribe glasses to infants and toddlers to improve vision and to prevent or treat amblyopia. Amblyopia occurs when there is a disruption in visual development. This can occur in one or both eyes and if not treated early, can lead to permanent visual impairment in adulthood. Treatment can involve using glasses, patching an eye , instilling eye drops, and even surgery, but this would be discussed with your doctor to determine the best treatment option for you and your child.

1. Plan on getting to your exam early. LA traffic is no joke, and you have to factor in parking, checking in at the main front desk of the hospital and then checking in with the ophthalmology department. Some offices are very strict with late arrivals and may make you reschedule if you are more than 15 minutes late.

2. Explain to your child they may be getting eye drops. You can even practice by instilling artificial tears at home so it is less scary.

3. Bring sunglasses, your child will be sensitive to the light if they are dilated.

4. Bring their old glasses (even if your child doesn’t use them or they are broken).

5. Practice letter matching (see my letter matching guide under patient education).

6. Be prepared for a long exam. In addition to the testing/measurements, we need AT LEAST 30 minutes for the dilating drops to work once they are instilled so it is not uncommon the eye exam to take 2 hours from start to finish.

7. Bring snacks :)

NO! As long as you provide a copy of your latest glasses prescription (that is not expired) another eye exam is not necessary. Additionally, many adult eye doctors don’t have as much experience examining infants/toddlers/children and those with special needs, so their prescription may be not as accurate as Dr. Topete’s examination.

I do not see adults at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, but I do see adults in my private practice in Ventura County. The private practice (Heritage Valley Eye Care) is NOT affiliated with the hospital.

There isn’t strong evidence that blue blocking glasses is helpful in reducing eye strain or that blue light is harmful to the eyes. However, I do like the anti-reflective property of the blue light coating, especially for people who spend lots of time in front of the computer. Blue light may interfere with sleep, so I do recommend staying off devices at least an hour before bed and/or using the “night shift” mode on phone/computers.

I do not. Although some pediatric optometrist get extra training in vision therapy, my residency focused on pediatric ocular disease and contact lenses. I suggest finding an optometrist through the College of Vision Development website to find an optometrist who offers this service.

Your glasses prescription is good for any optical/optometry office. Some plans have benefits toward glasses, so I suggest calling your insurance company to ask which offices accept your insurance for glasses. Another eye examination is not necessary, but you do need to bring a copy of the glasses prescription with you to the optical/optometry clinic.

Children’s Optical (468 E Santa Clara Stree, Arcadia CA 91006) has a large selection of glasses specifically for infants, toddlers and children. Their optician is certified and experienced with working with children. They do require an appointment to pick out glasses (phone number 626-303-2030).

Please call the clinic where you had your eye exam and we are happy to mail or fax you a new copy. Glasses prescriptions are typically valid for 1 or 2 years before they expire.

Call your clinic to schedule an appointment with me or another eye care provider. If they give you a hard time, ask them to contact/email me and I will probably approve a sooner appointment. Just be prepared to wait a while as I am likely double booking you and need to accommodate you into my schedule. If your child reports pain, changes in vision, difficulty keep eyes open, etc, then please go to the emergency department to be seen as soon as possible.