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The Importance of Infant Eye Exams

By John D. Bissell, OD, Bissell Eye Care July 31, 2015
Your baby’s vision is very important! The InfantSEE® program was developed in 2005 by the American Optometric Association and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. The goal of this program is make sure that all infants and their families have access to quality eye care as part of a no-cost public service.

This public health program encourages early eye examinations for children six months of age or older. Under the program, participating optometrists across the United States agree to provide a full infant eye assessment between 6 and 12 months of age as a no-cost public service. Many children don’t receive a comprehensive eye exam until they are in their later elementary grades and often only get an examination when someone believes that something is wrong with their sight. Most eye problems occur much earlier and can be prevented with early detection and treatment.

The American Optometric Association recommends that you get your child’s first eye assessment at six months to check for eye movement, eye tracking, and excessive amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

Why Should I Get My Baby’s Eyes Checked?
As baby’s eyes develop in the early months, he first begins to focus on objects that are about a foot away. Complex shapes and color contrasts stimulate a baby’s interest. During the first four months, your baby should begin to track movement as hand-eye coordination and depth perception are developed. Then, at six months, it’s important to get your baby an eye exam to determine if any eye conditions are present. Most of these problems aren’t common. However, it’s best to treat these conditions early, when the treatment is often most effective.

During the eye exam, you will be asked to hold your infant on your lap. Your optometrist will use colorful objects and hand-held toys, like puppets, during the exam. During the evaluation, the optometrist will examine the eye’s structure as well as eyelids, tear ducts, and other parts of the eye. Here’s a tip, too: It’s best to schedule the exam when your child is most alert.

There are factors that place an infant at risk for eye disease. An optometrist in this program will review the family history and look for things like low birth weight, family history of eye disease, infection of the mother during pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and difficult or assisted labor.

Many eye conditions have no symptoms that can be identified by a parent or in a well visit. Having your child’s eyes checked at an early age provides parents peace of mind regarding their child’s eye health.

John D. Bissell, owner of Bissell Eye Care and Tri-State Low Vision Services, offers comprehensive eye examinations for the entire family, ocular disease detection and treatment, eye glasses, sun glasses, active wear, contact lenses, and low vision examinations for those with significant vision loss. He has undergone specialized training for treatment of low vision by the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists utilizing customized telescopic eyeglasses, prisms and telescopic implants for patients who qualify.