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Keep an Eye on Your Child’s Vision Be alert for problems and get your child an eye exam by your pediatrician first When it comes to vision, you are your child’s first line of defense. You notice something, watch it for a while, and call the pediatrician to find out if what you’re seeing is a problem. That’s how it should be, experts say. But only about half of America’s kids even have a pediatrician, says David Young, M.D., pediatric ophthalmologist at Kapi‘olani. Early detection “Ten to 20 percent of kids have some type of visual problem,” he says. They can be farsighted or nearsighted. They can have astigmatism in which an irregularly shaped cornea (the eye’s clear “front window”) causes blurred images. And they can have a host of other problems, such as crossed eyes, lazy eye, and even cataracts or glaucoma. It’s best to catch vision problems while a child is very young. Later, problems are harder to correct. And vision problems are often mistaken for learning disabilities once kids start school. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends having a child examined whenever questions arise about the health of his or her vision, no matter what the child’s age is. What to watch for At first, infants’ eyes are all over the place. They move around a lot, just like infants’ arms and legs. At about 3 months, infants “should be able to track you with their eyes in a room,” notes Dr. Young. “At 6 months, babies should have fairly normal vision. They have vision of about 20/40, which would pass the driver’s test.” But, Dr. Young recommends against letting them drive! Dr. Young suggests that you look to see whether your baby’s eyes move together. And when you view photos of your baby taken with a flash, look for a red glow in the eyes. White or black is not normal. If there is any question, talk to your child’s doctor. Consider showing the picture to your doctor if you are not sure. David Young, M.D. “If you see crossed eyes or think there might be other visual problems, see your pediatrician,” Dr. Young says. “I’m a big believer in seeing the pediatrician to find out, and he or she can tell you whether you need to see someone like me.”