At birth, a baby’s vision is very poor. As children develop, however, their eyes become able to see full colors, focus on far away objects, and perceive depth and space. Not all vision, however, develops perfectly. It can be hard to tell if your baby or toddler is starting to experience vision problems when they are unable to speak about their experiences.
You’ll be happy to know that serious vision problems in newborns are very uncommon. As your baby becomes more active and approaches toddlerhood, problems are more likely.
Symptoms in Infancy
Here’s what you should notice as your child’s vision develops and what you can do to if you see the following signs:
- Poor response to visual stimuli. Babies are generally very excited to see new patterns, flashing lights, and other interesting sense-stimulating visuals. If your baby is past the newborn stage and is still not responding to flashing lights, it’s time to consult your eye doctor.
- Abnormal eye movement. Your baby’s eyes should move in tandem. One eye should not drift back and forth while the other remains steady, nor should their eyes drift in opposite directions. However, you should know that babies can naturally look crossed-eyed when focusing on something close to the face.
- Strange eye appearance in flash photographs. Red eyes are normal in some photos taken with flash. However, white eyes or other colored spots are not. If your baby consistently has strange eye coloration from the flash, see your doctor.
- One eye remaining closed. Both lids should function together.
- Persistent infection. Crusty excretions, redness that does not fade, and intense reactions to bright lights (such as crying in pain) are signs of infection.
As your baby grows, you should also look for specific behaviors that can indicate vision trouble. A baby with eye problems might rub their eyes when they aren’t tired, squint all the time, tilt their head when trying to look at a specific object, or refuse to follow a toy with their eyes.
Some vision trouble can be treated immediately, especially if it’s caused by infection. Other problems, like strabismus (involuntary eye movements) will require vision therapy.
Symptoms for Toddlers
As your baby begins to walk, vision trouble becomes easier to notice and diagnose. Also, by 12-months-old, your baby should have had their first eye exam, which allows any major problems to be caught by an optometrist.
Here are some of the symptoms you might notice if your toddler is starting to have difficulty seeing properly:
- An unusual amount of accidents due to apparent clumsiness. Some children, especially those with astigmatism, have somewhat poorly developed motor hand-eye-foot coordination. Your toddler might trip and fall more often than their peers.
- Gazing too closely at books or moving very close to the screen of a TV or tablet. Some children like to sit close just for fun, but if the behavior is consistent with all media, it’s worth looking into.
- More eye rubbing. Rubbing your eyes is a sign of visual fatigue—it’s why people do it when they need to sleep or after they’ve been crying. But rubbing during the day for no apparent reason is a sign that your child’s eyes are tired from trying to see well when they cannot.
- Complaints of eye pain, headaches, or itchiness. If your child says their head hurts on a consistent basis when they are not sick and are well-rested and hydrated, it’s a sign of poor vision.
Remember that toddlers can still develop more serious eye problems than simple near- or far-sightedness. If your child’s eye seem to be bulging or if one pupil is much large than the other, emergency medical treatment may be necessary.
Habits for Healthy Childhood Eyes
Parents are instrumental in catching eye problems in infancy and toddlerhood, but they are also integral in promoting good eye development. These suggestions will help you provide the stimulation necessary for your child to develop strong eyesight as they grow:
- Play with your baby. Roll a ball sideways, forward, and backward to help them track the movement. Tracking movement helps strong eye muscle development.
- Change your baby’s seat and position often. Don’t always sit your child in the same corner of the room. Move the seat or swing to different locations and, if possible, different heights to allow for better cognitive visual processing.
- Move your baby’s hand during play. Make movements that will be important later. For example, you might move your baby’s arm in a throwing motion. The movement and early tracking will help with the development of a hand-eye coordination.
- Read books with your child and encourage concentrated play with blocks, stickers, coloring, or toy cars. The concentration on specific objects during play will increase your child’s visual endurance.
For more information on childhood vision problems and development, contact the team at All About Eyes.