Growing Miracles: Vision

About 80 percent of a baby's learning is through sight. Your child's eyesight is a precious sense that should be watched and protected.

Babies with normal sight will have the following vision development:

• At birth, babies can see at close range. They also like high-contrast objects (black and white). Objects more than 25 to 35 cm (10 to 15 in.) away are blurry.
• At 6 weeks, babies can follow objects with their eyes. They start to turn their head to follow moving objects.
• At 8 weeks, babies can focus on faces. They can tell red and blue from white.
• At 4 months, babies have good control of eye movement.
• At 6 to 8 months, the eyes should focus equally.
• From 1 to 2 years of age, hand/eye coordination will begin to develop.

Signs of poor vision include:

• baby shows no interest in faces or toys appropriate to his age
• eyes rove or jiggle
• tilts head or squints
• white or strange light reflects from the pupil
• pupil has unusual size or shape
• one or both eyes turns or crosses*

* For the first 6 months your infant's eyes may sometimes appear crossed or out of alignment. This is usually normal. However, if it is constant or continues after the age of 6 months, see your doctor right away.

Because preschoolers think everyone sees the same way they do, they have no way of knowing if their eyesight is bad—but you do. If you see any of these signs, an optometrist should check your child's vision:

Regular checkups

Your child's first eye examination should be at 6 months, again at 3 years old, and yearly from the age of 5 years. If you are concerned about your child's vision, or think your child might have an eye infection, don't wait. Contact your optometrist right away so treatment can begin as soon as possible.

In Alberta, the provincial government pays for children's eye examinations until they are18 years old. No referral is needed to visit an optometrist, so parents can book appointments. The Alberta Child Health Benefit can help families that qualify buy eyeglasses.