Serene City Hospital Center

Does Your Toddler Have Trouble Seeing?

IN TODDLERS' HEALTH

[Rate Me]
Did you know that vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers? You want your child to see and experience all the sights and colors of the world, but your child may be unable to express or understand her vision problems. That’s why caring for your toddler’s eyesight is so important. Since many vision problems begin at an early age, it is important that young children receive proper eye care. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children receive an eye exam at birth, 6 months, and 3 years old with annual checkups after that. Untreated eye problems can worsen and affect your child’s ability to learn and interact with others. Common vision impairments in children include Amblyopia (lazy eye). Amblyopia is reduced vision in an eye that has not received adequate use during early childhood. One eye becomes stronger and if the condition continues without treatment, the weaker eye may become useless. Strabismus. Strabismus occurs when one eye does not aim in the same direction as the other eye. One eye may be turned inward toward the nose (crossed eye) or outward toward the side (wall eye). Color deficiency. Children with color blindness are not blind to color but have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors. Color deficiencies are almost always hereditary and affect one in 12 boys, but only one in 200 girls. Myopia (Nearsightedness). In myopia, the eyeball is too long for the normal focusing power of the eye. As a result, images of distant objects appear blurred. Hyperopia (Farsightedness). In this condition, the eyeball is too short for the normal focusing power of the eye, making objects up close blurry.
What to Watch For Do you know what to look for in your child? The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health provides the following signs of possible vision impairment in children:
  • Rubs eyes excessively
  • Shuts or covers one eye
  • Tilts or thrusts head forward
  • Holds objects close to eyes
  • Is unable to see distant things clearly
  • Squints eyelids together or frowns
  • Has crossed or misaligned eyes
  • Red-rimmed, encrusted or swollen eyelids
  • Inflamed or watery eyes
  • Recurring styes (infections) on eyelids
  • Color photos of eyes show white reflection instead of typical red or no reflection
If you see one or more of these signs in your child, seek professional eye care to avoid further damage to your child’s vision.
© 2013. True North Custom Media. All Rights Reserved.

Comment on this article

Name
Email

Comment

0 Comment