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InfantSEE November 2005 Newsletter |
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Written by InfantSEE
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
Great News! Since  InfantSEE launched in June 2005, over 4,000 infants' eyes and vision has been assessed. The InfantSEE newsletter keeps the topic of infants' vision and eye health front of mind for parents, teachers, and others concerned about the general wellness of infants and children.
Note to Parents: if your child has already received an InfantSEE assessment, we encourage you to share this newsletter with others who may not have heard about the program yet. If your child hasn't yet received an InfantSEE assessment, click here to find an InfantSEE provider in your area.
Note to Educators: please share this information with the parents of your students and others in the community.
The InfantSEE program is grateful for the word-of-mouth recommendations of individuals like you. Thank you for spreading the word about the importance of early detection of eye and vision problems. InfantSEE participating doctors provide a one-time comprehensive eye and vision assessment to infants in the first year of life at no cost.
As They Grow: Developmental Milestones for Infants' and Children's Vision
In addition to the actual eye and vision assessments provided through the InfantSEE program, optometrists educate parents and the public about infants' and children's vision in general. An important fact that is not widely known is that vision is LEARNED. Provided below are milestones of a child's visual development.
- 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.
Infants' and children's vision development, like many other aspects of their development, are marked by milestones. It is important for parents to assist their babies in preparing for a lifetime of healthy vision.
Coming up in the next issue:
Glossary of children's vision terms
InfantSEE brochures available for local groups
Conversation with an InfantSEE participating doctor
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