When a baby is born, his or her eyesight is normally just fine; they just don’t know how to use it yet. They will spend their first year learning to use their eyes. They learn to focus on and track objects, to use both eyes together and to connect what they see to hand and body positions.
Parents often assume that if their child has an eye problem, they will notice. But sometimes, one or both eyes are not working well for reasons that are not obvious. Vision problems can occur at any age, but if identified early, there is a very good chance they can be remedied before becoming permanent. Optometrists have special tests to diagnose eye conditions for babies and infants so they can be examined as early as six months and ideally by three years of age.
By age one, a baby has “adult-like” eyesight; their vision continues to develop until about age eight. After that, eyesight is fully developed and cannot be easily corrected.
Some vision problems that children may have are crossed eyes (strabismus) the eye muscles point one or both eyes in the wrong direction; lazy eye (amblyopia) where the vision in one eye is weaker than the other; myopia (near-sightedness); and hyperopia (far-sightedness).
Vision is especially important to a child’s learning and problems with vision can make learning more difficult. Left untreated, some vision problems can cause serious long-term damage. But how can you tell if your child is having vision problems? Watch for signs like squinting or rubbing his or her eyes often; covering or closing one eye to see; and holding objects close to his or her eyes. And since vision problems often run in families, if there is a family history or your child shows any of the signs, make sure he or she gets examined by your family doctor or eye doctor early.
Vision is a crucial tool for learning, and because early diagnosis gives a child the best chance to develop good vision, each school year, Vancouver Coastal Health provides free vision screening to all children entering into kindergarten at the beginning of the school year and at the Spring Kindergarten Fair in your community. This can help detect problems for young children, but it does not replace a regular eye exam by your eye doctor.
Indeed, it is strongly recommended that every child see an optometrist for a diagnostic exam before starting kindergarten. Should eyeglasses be needed, some families are eligible for assistance through the B.C. Healthy Kids Program (1-866-866-0800).
To find out more about vision screening, contact your local public health office. On the Sunshine Coast, contact Shelly McAuley at 604-886-5615 and in Powell River, Shannon Alsop at 604-485-3310.
Editor’s note: Dr. Paul Martiquet is the medical health officer for rural Vancouver Coastal Health including Powell River, the Sunshine Coast, Sea-to-Sky, Bella Bella and Bella Coola.
