Infant Eye Examinations

When should infants have their first vision examination?

When should infants have their first vision examination? Believe it or not, by 6 to 12 months of age. Early detection is critical in preventing and treating vision conditions that can have lifelong effects.

An evaluation should be sought sooner if you notice delays in development, if your infant has an eye that turns outward or inward (lasting more than a few seconds), or if you note excessive rubbing of the eyes. These are indicators of abnormal visual development and should be evaluated by a developmental optometrist as soon as possible.

Here are a few facts about vision in infants:

• Infant vision develops from birth and it affects their development in many ways.
• Infants are born with poor color vision and should develop it by the age of six months.
• An infant’s eyes are generally observed as straight after birth. If you observe an eye turn, it is important to have this evaluated as soon as possible. The cause can be a manifestation of an underlying disease process. Early identification and treatment of such conditions may prevent permanent vision loss.
• Infants can see only about 20/400 after birth, but can see 20/40 by the age of one. An awareness of self (orientation) must develop before objects can accurately be found (localization) in their world.
• Infants and toddlers are usually farsighted. Interferences in a child’s motor development can influence development of visual skills and the process of becoming less farsighted.
• Vision problems are one of the leading causes of handicapping conditions in children, most of which can be detected, prevented or treated during the infant years.

At Sterling Vision, we will provide your infant with a comprehensive visual evaluation which includes developmental patient history, visual acuity assessment, a check for farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism and an assessment of eye health. We will also check eye movements, focusing, teaming and hand-eye integration.

Should any issues be detected, we will work with you to develop a thorough and personalized treatment plan, which may include visual guidance activities, developmental vision therapy, prescription lenses and/or referrals for further assessment.