It can be difficult to discern whether or not your child is having vision problems. Noticing the distance they sit from books or a television can be an obvious clue, but other times you’ll need a more nuanced approach to really understanding if your child can see to the best of their ability.
Your Child Had Their Eyes Checked most likely at birth and at six weeks. This was likely done by a midwife, and would have involved a check for any visible cataracts using a light. Things will be quite blurry for your little one as they pass through each developmental milestone, but as the weeks pass, aspects of their vision will improve just like hearing and physical awareness. They will have just begun to focus at a distance of 30cm around the age of 1 month old. At around two months, their distinguishing of primary colours improves. From four to eight months their depth perception will occur and gradually improve.
At Around 5 Years Old, routine eye exams should begin taking place for your child. It coincides with the age most children start school, which makes it an easy age to remember. Vision loss for children can affect them both physically as well as emotionally (more so than it might for adults), so consider the importance of a routine check.
Signs of Problems…
If you are worried about your child’s vision, try to observe any of the following activities which may help in the event you visit an optometrist:
- Rubbing eyes
- Blinking
- Sitting close to a TV/holding objects close
- Squinting
- Inwards/Outwards turning eye.
- Problems navigating darkness
As always, if you have any general questions about developmental milestones for vision, don’t hesitate to contact our office or ask us on social media. If you would like to arrange a test for your son or daughter, call us at 403-333-3353.