Keep an Eye on Your Child's Vision

When it comes to vision, you are your child's first line of defense. You notice something, watch it for a while, and call the pediatrician to find out if what you're seeing is a problem.

That's how it should be, experts say. But only about half of America's kids even have a pediatrician, says David Granet, M.D., a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Granet is a pediatric ophthalmologist in San Diego.

"Ten to 20 percent of kids have some type of visual problem," he says. They can be far-sighted or near-sighted. They can have astigmatism, in which an irregularly shaped cornea (the eye's clear "front window") causes blurred images. And they can have a host of other problems, such as crossed eyes, lazy eye, even cataracts or glaucoma. Vision problems may be mistaken for learning disabilities once kids start school.

It's best to catch vision problems while a child is very young. Poor visual development during childhood may not be correctable later. That is why early detection and treatment is so critical.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that an ophthalmologist examine all infants by 6 months of age. At first, infants' eyes are all over the place. They move around a lot, just like infants' arms and legs. At about 3 months, infants "should be able to track you with their eyes in a room," Dr. Granet says. He suggests that you look to see whether your baby's eyes move together. And when you view photos of your baby, look for a red glow in the eyes. "White or black is not normal, but don't go by one photograph—it's a problem only if it's in all photos of your baby.

"If you see crossed eyes or think there might be other visual problems, see a pediatrician," Dr. Granet says. "I'm a big believer in seeing the pediatrician to find out, and he or she can tell you whether you need to see someone like me."