A Guide To Your Child’s Vision

Your child’s vision is a complex combination of the brain, the eyes, and the vast array of nerves that connect them. At birth, their visual system is still immature and continues to develop throughout the child’s early years.

Healthy eyes and good vision are vital components of a child’s development and learning. Learning ‘how to see’ and being able to interpret visual information to understand what is going on in the environment, are both crucial factors in successfully reaching full development of the visual system.

The first 6 years of your child’s life is considered the ‘vulnerable period’ because it’s when your child’s development is most vulnerable to the effects of the various threats to their eye health and vision.

Key Vision Milestones

Birth to 1 Month

• Blinks in response to bright light
• Uncoordinated eye movements, may appear cross eyed
• Ability to stare at an object 8-10 inches away
• Stares at light or faces
• Begins to track or follow moving objects

1 to 2 Months

• Clear vision only for objects 10-12 inches away
• Stares at faces or black and white images
• Follows an object up to 90 degrees
• Watches parents closely
• Begin to develop tears

2 to 3 Months

• Begins to notice familiar objects up to 12 inches away
• Examines own hands
• Follows faces, objects, and light
• Depth perception and visual coordination improves. If not fixing and following by this time your GP should be consulted.

4 to 5 Months

• Begins to reach for nearby objects
• Recognises familiar objects such as their bottle
• Looks at self in mirror

5 to 7 Months

• Develops full colour vision
• Ability to see images and objects from a few feet away
• Turns head to view objects
• Favours certain colours
• Touches mirror image of self

7 to 12 Months

• Development of independent eye movements
• Sees smaller objects
• Crawls to reach distant objects
• Watches and follows fast moving objects

12 to 18 Months

• Clear distance vision
• Depth perception for objects further than 2 feet away
• Refinement of eye movements
• Recognises images of familiar objects
• Recognises self in mirror

4+ Years

• At age 4 to 5, vision screening should happen at school. We recommend your child has a full eye test with an optometrist just prior to starting school.
• Treatment for lazy eye is most successful before the age of 7.
• Short-sightedness is most likely to start between 6 and 13 years of age.
• Look out for a squint or lazy eye, it often runs in families and may not be obvious.

Your Child’s Eye Test

Children may not always recognise that they have a vision problem, leading to undiagnosed and untreated eye conditions that could cause issues later in life.

Routine eye tests ensure any vision issues or eye conditions can be treated before they get worse or cause a hindrance to your child’s development.

Signs your child might need an eye test include:

• Straining their eyes
• Eyes not looking in the same direction
• Complaining about eye pain
• Frequent eye rubbing
• Sensitivity to light or excessive teary eyes
• Closing one eye to see better
• Headaches
• Sitting too close to the TV
• Redness of eye(s)
• A ‘white reflex’ in photographs, which looks like a white circular glow in the eye
• Difficulty participating in near vision activities like reading or homework, or distance vision activities, such as sports or recreation.

Book your child in for a free eye test at Opticare Opticians here

How often should children have their eyes tested?

It is recommended that after the age of about 4, children’s eyes should be tested by an optometrist once a year to ensure any changes to their vision or eye health are quickly identified.

What to expect during a child’s eye test

Before 

To prepare for the eye test, you may want to note down any signs that your child is displaying regarding their vision, including squinting, frequently sitting too close to the TV, or light sensitivity.

During

Your child’s optometrist will begin the eye test by assessing your child’s history, if available, and any changes you may have noticed. The optometrist will then carefully examine your child’s eye to detect any irregularities.

The optometrist will use a binocular vision check to ensure your child’s eyes work together to form one clear image. This type of check is particularly important for children as it can catch issues that can go on to affect their school life.

The optician will also conduct a visual acuity test to measure how well your child sees at various distances. Depending on your child’s age and ability to cooperate, this test involves reading letters on a chart or identifying shapes and pictures. It helps determine if there are any refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

The optometrist will also evaluate your child’s eye movement and coordination by asking them to follow a moving object like a pen or a light. This test checks for smooth and coordinated eye movements, which are essential for activities like reading and playing sports.

Finally, the optometrist will also check the health of the front of the eyes, and the retina.

After

The optometrist will explain your child’s eye exam results and answer any questions you may have.

They will take the time to break down the findings, offering detailed explanations and addressing any queries. They will offer personal recommendations about what frames and lenses best suit your child’s needs if they require glasses.

Your Child’s Results

You will be advised by the optometrist if your child requires any vision correction.

It’s fairly common for children to have some type of refractive error. This means the light passing through the lens of the eye is not hitting the retina in the right spot. The most common refractive errors your child might get diagnosed with are:

• Myopia (Near-sightedness): Difficulty seeing objects in the distance clearly. Light is focused in front of the retina instead of directly on to it.
• Hyperopia (Far-sightedness): Difficulty focusing on objects up close. Light is focused behind the retina instead of directly on to it.
• Astigmatism: Causes blurred vision and difficulty seeing both up close and far away. This happens when the cornea is not the usual spherical shape, but instead slightly elongated like an egg.

On your child’s prescription, myopia will be written as a minus (-) sign next to a number whilst hyperopia will be written as a plus (+) sign next to a number. The greater the number, the greater the refractive error, and therefore the stronger the prescription.

Astigmatism will be written as a cylinder, representing the amount of astigmatism present. The axis of the cylinder will show where the astigmatism is located.

 

For more information about your child’s eye health, read our blog on Maintaining Healthy Vision For Your Child.

If you’re concerned about your child’s eye health, book in at your local Opticare Opticians branch today.