- Though rare, eyesight problems can arise at a very young age, or exist from birth.
- Vision problems in small children often go undetected and undiagnosed.
However, even when children develop verbal skills, they may not realize they have a problem, as a vision issue they’ve lived with since birth may be perceived by them as normal.
Eye or vision problems that may arise during your child’s prelingual phase of development, if treated early, might be more easily treated (or even cured) than if the problem goes unrecognized for years. For this reason, you need to be the eyes for your child, looking for signs of vision problems and taking action if you think something is wrong.
Preventing eyesight problems in your child
If you follow the recommended timing and schedule for getting your children’s eyes examined, many vision problems will be identified early. The American Optometric Association (AOA) advises having your baby get its first eye exam when they are six months old, even if there are no obvious vision problems.The AOA recommends early and more frequent eye exams whenever:
- Your child has a family history of eye disease.
- Your child has strabismus – eyes that are turned out or crossed.
- Your child was born prematurely or has a low birth weight.
- Your child has had any developmental delays.
- Your child already wears eyeglasses.
- The child’s mother had an infection when she was pregnant.
Identifying symptoms of vision problems in younger children
To keep an eye on developing eye and vision problems, the AOA advises parents to look for the following in their infant: light sensitivity (which may by a sign of unusual eye pressure), high amounts of tears (often indicative of tear duct blockage), eyes that frequently turn (a sign of eye muscle control problems), encrusted eye lids (suggests the presence of infection), or a white pupil – the part of the eye that is normally black. The whiteness can be a cancer sign.What to do if you suspect your child has eyesight problems
Even if it’s not yet time for your child’s regular eye exam, see your optometrist or family doctor right away if the child has any of the telltale symptoms noted above. Like with all other medical conditions, the early a problem is spotted, the easier it is to treat.Ric Moxley
Contributing Writer
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