Children's Vision
Did
You Know...
- It has been estimated that vision accounts for 80% of all childhood learning.
- Poor vision can potentially affect learning and development.
- There are some conditions that can cause permanent vision loss if untreated by about age 7.
- Young children cannot tell if they have a vision problem. As far as the child is concerned, their vision is normal.
- It recommended that every child be have a comprehensive eye examination by the age of 3, and much earlier if there is an obvious problem or a family history of vision or eye problems.
Click on the below topics for additional information:
- Indications that your child may have a vision problem
- Should a child get an eye examination before they can read or respond verbally?
- Is there more to vision than clear sight?
- What is amblyopia and strabismus?
- Why is early detection important?
- When to seek professional care
- How does a baby's vision develop?
Indications that a child may have a vision problem
- Easily tires when reading
- Headaches especially after reading.
- Avoidance of close work, reading for example.
- Easily distracted.
- Rubbing the eyes
- Closing or covering one eye.
- Tilting the head.
- Holding reading material very close.
- Losing place while reading.
- Moving the head, instead of eyes, when reading.
- Squinting.
- Constant or occasional blurred vision.
- Complaints of double vision.
- Requires a lot of time to complete homework.
- Struggles in school.
Should a child get an eye examination before they can read or respond verbally?
Yes. Children should undergo their first formal visual evaluation by their third birthday. Pediatric visual analysis will reveal whether there is a tendency toward nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus (deviated eye), or amblyopia (lazy eye). The doctor can also determine whether the many visual skill that your child will need are beginning to develop as they should.
Is there more to vision than clear sight?
Yes, clear vision is just one component of a healthy, well functioning visual system. For example, children with significant amounts of farsightedness may have 20/20 vision without glasses. However, these same children often complain of headaches, avoid reading and may do poorly in school.
Children with poor binocular (two eyed) vision may also have 20/20 vision. Poor binocular vision can cause double vision, affect depth perception and possibly one's ability to succeed in the classroom.
What is amblyopia and strabismus?
People often confuse amblyopia with strabismus. These are two different but sometimes interrelated visual problems.
Amblyopia (lazy eye): a visual defect that affects approximately 2 or 3 out of every 100 children in the United States. Amblyopia is decreased visual acuity (clarity) that cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
Strabismus: a visual defect that affects approximately 4 out of every 100 children in the United States. It is a visual defect in which the two eyes point in different directions. One eye may turn either in, out, up, or down while the other eye aims straight ahead. Due to this condition, both eyes do not always aim simultaneously at the same object. The eye turns may be visible at all times or may come and go. In some cases, the eye misalignments are not obvious to the untrained observer. Strabismus causes a loss of stereoscopic depth perception..
About half the infants and children with strabismus, if untreated, develop amblyopia. A failure to treat strabismus and amblyopia may lead to serious and irreversible vision problems.
Why is early detection important?
Early detection of visual problem greatly increases the chances of successful treatment.
Children have a "biological time clock" meaning that they may reach a point when certain eye disorders such as strabismus and amblyopia may become impossible to correct.
When to seek professional care
Schools often do screening tests, and these tests are important, but their value is limited. Therefore, school screenings should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive visual examination by an eye doctor.
It is recommended that every child be routinely examined by an eye doctor by the age of 3, and much earlier if there are obvious problems or a family history of vision or eye problems.
Regular examinations are the best way to catch any potential problems as early as possible.
How does a baby's vision develop?
At birth, a baby can see patterns of light and dark, but specific objects are blurred. The infant's world consists of "limited" space, which is never further away than approximately one meter, and most of the child's vision is done with one eye at a time. Only when your child is about one month old will you notice that he/she was able to direct both eyes at the same focal object.
Between the ages of 4 to 6 months the infant will turn his head, not only to follow moving object, but also when looking towards another object. It is natural to notice the baby's eyes crossing or turning out momentarily, but as the eyes mature, toward 6 months, their gaze should be steady and straight.
By the age of 6 to 8 months your child will be able to gain the visual information by eye motion only, so head motion for following objects should decrease. Also at this time, both eyes will focus equally.
At 8 to 12 months your child will use both eyes together to judge all distances and develop depth perception. As your child grows (1 to 3 years old), hand-eye coordination will improve and the child will start becoming more aware of its surroundings. At this point, children begin to explore their environment.