Having a newborn is an exciting time in any parent's life. For new parents, taking care of a little one can be a challenge, especially if they don't already have a lot of experience taking care of a newborn.

Most new parents are well aware of the importance of taking their infant to the doctor on the regular basis. Many, however, don't know realize that seeing the optometrist is important for overall health, too.

A survey by the American Optometric Association found that less than 25 percent of infants have an eye exam. Unfortunately, the lack of exams may be a contributing factor to one in 10 infants having an undetected vision problem.

"It is crucial that parents understand the importance of comprehensive eye exams for infants and how they are administered," said optometrist Dr. Glen Steele. "The good news about a trip to the optometrist is that most babies seem to enjoy the 'games' we use to determine whether their visual development is progressing normally and their eyes are healthy."

Receiving an eye exam is important at any age. Many health conditions can be caught by an optometrist. Detecting a condition early may ultimately lead to lower expenses and health insurance costs.