It's official, our second son - Caleb - got his first pair of glasses last week. He was originally examined and the determination was made at three months that he would need glasses, however, they wanted to wait until he was 6 months old before writing his a prescription to ensure that the initial assessment wasn't too strong

Now JC and Caleb both have glasses. JC was very excited to see his little brother wearing glasses too. Here's one of the first pictures of them together sharing a cookie.

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How can I tell if there's a problem with my baby's vision?

By the BabyCenter editorial staff, from: http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyills/babyeyes/1439840.html

It takes your baby's eyes some time to adjust to the world, so at first they might not always look or function the way you expect. It's perfectly normal for your infant's eyes to be occasionally misaligned (crossed), for example, or for him not to be able to see much past your face when you're holding him. Still, certain signs could indicate a problem.

Talk with your baby's doctor if you notice any of the following:
? Your baby's eyes turn way in or out, and stay that way.
? His eyes don't move normally: One moves and the other doesn't, for example, or one looks different from the other when moving.
? Lights, mobiles, and other distractions don't catch your baby's attention once he passes his 1-month birthday.

Once your baby is 3 months old, also talk with his doctor if you notice any of the following:
? Your baby can't follow a toy moved from side to side in front of him.
? His eyes seem to jump or wiggle back and forth.
? He has a persistent, unusual spot in his eyes in photos taken with a flash. Instead of the common "red eye," for example, there's a white spot.
? He seems to consistently tilt his head when he looks at things.

Your baby's doctor can help you determine whether you should be concerned. She may examine your child's eyes, screen his vision, and/or refer you to a medical eye specialist (ophthalmologist).

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By Glen Steele, optometrist, from: http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/expert/preschooler/phealth/pvision/70165.html

How can I tell whether my child needs glasses?

Answer: You can look for a couple of signs. Does your child move up close to see things? Does he have an eye that turns in toward his nose or out toward his ear? If so, he may need glasses. (Occasionally these are signs of a problem that requires Vision Therapy or corrective surgery.) Also, a child who needs glasses may not respond to visual stimuli in normal ways. For example, he may not look up when someone enters a room, or he may fail to focus on the pages of a book while you're reading to him. When children do need glasses, they're more likely to be farsighted than nearsighted, but vision problems are rare at this age. If your child rubs his eyes a lot, it's more likely to be because of allergies than a vision problem. If you're concerned about your child's vision, make an appointment with an optometrist. Some private practices are particularly geared to working with children. Also, optometry clinics at colleges of optometry have doctors who specialize in children's vision.

Glen Steele O.D., is a clinical professor and chief of the pediatric and vision therapy service at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. In his private practice he primarily treats infants and young children. He is a past president of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and the current president of the Optometric Extension Program Foundation, as well as a member of the pediatric and binocular vision committee of the American Optometric Association. Dr. Steele was selected as Tennessee's Optometrist of the Year in 1999 and was selected one of Optometric Management's Top Ten Optometrists of the Decade in 1999. He is the chair of Operation Bright Start in Tennessee, a program to emphasize the need for eye and vision care in infants.

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InfantSEE

• Before birth: Proper prenatal care and nutrition can help Baby's eyes and associated nervous system to develop.
• At birth: Baby's eyes should be examined for signs of congenital eye problems. While these are rare, early diagnosis and treatment are important to Baby's development.
• Two months: for the first six to eight weeks of life, it is normal for Baby's eyes to not always track together. This should not be a concern unless Baby’s eyes are never aligned or their alignment does not gradually improve. Tearing is normal for many infants because the tear drainage ducts have not opened. They usually open on their own, but the doctor should be informed and he or she will suggest what to do to stimulate the opening of the ducts.
• Four months: Baby should begin to follow moving objects with the eyes and reach for things, first by chance and later more accurately, as eye-hand coordination and depth perception begin to develop.
• Six months: Baby should receive first comprehensive eye assessment. Click here to find an InfantSEEâ„¢ provider in your area. The optometrist will test for excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism and assess the quality of eye movement ability as well as all aspects of eye health.
• Between four and eight months: Baby should begin to turn from side to side and use his/her arms and legs. Eye movement and eye/body coordination skills continue to develop, and both eyes should focus equally.
• From eight to twelve months: Baby is mobile now, crawling and pulling up. Baby is using both eyes together and judging distances; grasping and throwing objects with greater precision. Crawling is important for developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination.
• From one to two years: Baby's eye-hand coordination and depth perception continue to develop, and Baby begins to understand abstract terms.
• Age three: Child should have a comprehensive Eye Examination to make sure vision is continuing to develop properly and there is no evidence of eye disease. If needed, your optometrist can prescribe treatment including glasses and/or Vision Therapy to correct a vision problem.
• Preschool years: Child develops visually-guided eye-hand-body coordination, fine motor skills and the visual motor skills necessary to learn to read. Parents should watch for signs that may indicate a vision development problem: short attention span relative to Child's age; difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination in ball play and bike riding; avoidance of coloring and puzzles and other detailed activities.

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