The doctors and health care pros your kids should see

Who: Optometrist
When: The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) says children should have their first eye exam at six months of age. If all is well their next visit should be at age three and annually after that.
Why: Lila Cobb with the CAO's Children's Vision Initiative says the six-month visit checks the health of your child's eyes and looks for eye coordination or prescription problems. The three-year appointment monitors general eye health with a specific focus on detecting and preventing amblyopia -- a condition found in two to four per cent of children and best treated at a young age.
To learn more about your child's first visit to the optometrist read “Vision 101” on the CAO website.
Cost: Most provinces cover the cost of children's eye examinations and many employee health benefits programs also offer coverage.

Making the appointment
If you're lucky you already have a family-friendly doctor, dentist and optometrist. If not, how to find one? Word of mouth is the best starting point; ask family, friends and colleagues for their recommendations. If you need to start “cold,” try the following resources:
• To find a dentist visit the website of your provincial or territorial dental association;
• To find an optometrist use the CAO's “Find an Optometrist” tool to search by province, city, or even postal code;
• To find a family doctor visit the website of your area's College of Physicians & Surgeons -- most have a “Find a Doctor” section. Although in some areas it is difficult to find a doctor, don't miss appointments -- visit a local walk-in clinic if necessary.

Being prepared
Appointments are smoother and happier events when your child knows what to expect. Here are some tips to get ready:

• Talk about the appointment -- explain why you're going and what to expect;
• Don't “overhype” the visit; avoid making your child nervous or overexcited;
• If possible, let your child observe an older sibling or parent having their eyes checked or teeth cleaned;
• Read stories or watch videos about visiting the doctor or dentist -- ask a librarian to help you find some.
• Try to schedule your appointment at a time when your child will be alert and relaxed.

In addition to the above “must-see” check-ups recommended for all children, there may be additional screening or assessments in place where you live. For example, Ontario's Infant Hearing Program screens all newborns for hearing problems.

And, of course, those regularly scheduled doctor's visits will help determine if your child is meeting milestones and whether there are other specialists they should see.

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