The visual system of the newborn is poorly developed. Within the first six months of life, rapid changes occur in visual acuity, accommodation, and binocular vision. Interference with development during this very critical phase may lead to serious lifelong effects on vision. Successful treatment can be obtained more quickly with early intervention.

According to the American Optometric Association Pediatric Eye Exam Guidelines, a child should first visit an optometrist for an initial comprehensive eye exam at six months of age. The optometrist will check for symptoms of eye disease, crossed-eyes, lazy eye and developmental problems. Infants and toddlers too young to talk or to identify letters and numbers can be examined with the sophisticated equipment available today.

The child should have another eye examination at age three. The doctor will check eye health, eye movement skills, focusing abilities and whether or not common vision problems like nearsightedness or farsightedness are present. An estimated one percent of preschoolers are nearsighted and about seven percent are sufficiently farsighted to require vision correction. Astigmatism significant enough to require treatment affects about two percent of preschoolers.

75,000 three year old children develop amblyopia each year. Amblyopia is responsible for loss of vision in more people under 45 years of age than all other ocular diseases and trauma combined.  It is estimated that 2-3 percent of healthy infants born each year will suffer visual loss from amblyopia. The important thing to know is that if diagnosed early, it is highly treatable and the  vision of the child can be saved. Treatment before age five is best to reverse the condition. Successful remediation is much more difficult after age 6.

Vision screenings often miss amblyopia. Young children do not realize that they are not seeing any differently than anyone else. A comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist is recommended to insure that your child is able to learn to see and see to learn.