Childrens Vision Care at Madeira Optical in Cincinnati

Infant Vision

As your child grows and develops so will their vision. Your baby's eyes will be
checked at birth and during well-baby visits throughout the first year. All babies
should receive a infant's eye exam. Babies usually see movement before anything
else. Full-term babies should be able to see their mother's facial expression within
a week of birth. Color vision and depth perception aren't yet fully developed and
eye muscle coordination is also very immature. Babies often have eyes that are
turned in, turned out or not working as a team, a condition known as strabismus. If
this problem doesn't resolve itself by the age of three or four months, consult an
eye doctor.

Preschoolers

From ages 3 to 6, your child will be fine-tuning the vision already developed
during the infant and toddler years. Older preschoolers are learning how to use
sports equipment and working on the fine motor skills needed to write their names.
Watch for the warning signs of visual problems, such as sitting too close to the TV
or holding a book too close, squinting, head tilting, eye rubbing and sensitivity to
light. Farsightedness and strabismus are common problems with this age group.
However, some problems might not have a sign; only an eye doctor can tell.

If your child exhibits no symptoms of a visual problem, he should have a children's
eye exam by the age of 3. Having a complete children's eye exam even before the
child enters school allows enough time to catch and correct any problems while
the visual system is still flexible.

If your pre-schooler needs glasses, make sure your child understands why.
Explain that he/she needs glasses to see clearly, and give specific examples of
the benefits, such as that he'll be able to see the words in his books better or will
be able to play catch with his brother because he can now see the ball.

School Aged Children

School-age children should receive a children's eye exam before entering
kindergarten and regularly after that if they have no visual problems. If your child
requires glasses or contact lenses for refractive errors, schedule visits every 12
months.

A vision screening performed by your pediatrician or the school nurse is not a
complete eye exam. These vision screenings are designed to alert parents to the
possibility of a visual problem and do not take the place of a visit to the eye
doctor. Although helpful, studies show that these vision screenings may miss sight-
threatening eye conditions.

Warning Signs and Risks for Vision Problems in Children

Squinting, closing or covering one eye
Constantly holding materials close to the face
Tilting the head to one side
Rubbing eyes repeatedly
One or both eyes turn in or out
Redness or tearing in eyes
Premature birth
Developmental delays
Family history of "lazy eye" or "thick glasses"
A disease that affects the whole body

Source: Checkyearly.com