At what age are formal vision screenings generally started in well-child care?

• A. Starting at birth.
• B. Starting at age 3 and continuing annually; red reflex screening is done earlier.
• C. Starting at age 6.
• D. Only if parent notices issues.

Answer: (B)

What’s being tested is when clinicians start formal vision screening in well-child visits and how early eye health is checked. Red reflex screening is a basic, universal part of newborn exams to catch serious structural problems. But checking how clearly a child can see—acuity screening—can’t reliably be done in infancy because a baby can’t cooperate with the tests. For that reason, formal vision acuity screening is typically started around age 3, when children can participate in simple vision tests (like naming shapes or letters at a distance) and is then repeated annually through the preschool years and into early school age.

So the best answer reflects starting formal vision screening at age 3 and continuing yearly, with red reflex screening already performed earlier. The other options miss that the acuity test isn’t appropriate at birth, are too late (waiting until age 6), or rely on parent concerns rather than universal screening, which is important because many vision problems don’t present noticeable symptoms early on.