How to Detect Infant Vision Problems

Vision disorders are the fourth most common disability among U.S. children and the leading cause of impaired conditions in childhood. Recent studies estimate that only 21 percent of all preschool children are screened for vision problems, and only 14 percent receive a comprehensive vision exam. Eye exams are recommended for all children beginning in the newborn period and continuing with every checkup.

From The Parent Review

While many vision problems begin in early infancy or before, they often are not recognized until a child has reached school age, when it may be too late to correct the problem.

Sight and the Brain

In infancy and throughout the preschool years, seeing is understanding. More than 75 percent of infant learning occurs through the eyes: children learn what to do, and how to act, by watching others. Learning to read facial expressions and body language, and to respond appropriately, takes place in these early years. What children observe through their eyes forms much of the foundation of their communication skills.

During these first years, a child's rapidly developing brain responds to its environment, turning on and off capacities according to the various demands the body makes on it. If, for example, a child is less able to focus with one eye than the other, as in amblyopia, or "lazy eye" (a condition affecting as many as 1 in 20 children), the child's stronger eye becomes dominant. Gradually the child's brain loses its ability to interpret visional information from the weaker eye. Without early detection and intervention - by patching the stronger eye so that the child uses and strengthens the weaker eye - irreversible vision loss can occur.

Asking Before Being Told

To prevent potential vision loss or resulting delays in cognitive and social development, it is vital to know if an infant's vision is developing normally and, if not, to take steps to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Early detection provides the best opportunity to repair problems and prevent permanent changes.