A Guide to Children's Vision Problems

Vision is arguably the most important of the five senses. It plays a crucial role throughout childhood and beyond.

Yet many parents don't understand how vision helps their children develop appropriately. For example, for the first several months, a baby can focus only on objects up close. Those objects will be seen in high contrast colors only, such as black, white and red.

Using the eyes as a team is a skill developed early in childhood. Parents, pediatricians and eyecare practitioners must ensure that the eyes work together, not independently, during the early formative years. Otherwise a lifetime of poor vision or permanently lost vision may result.

Moving into the preschool and school-age years, parents face a new set of worries:

When should my child have his first eye exam?
What tests should a complete children's eye exam include?
What if my child requires vision correction?
Will his vision worsen over time, or improve?
What type of eyeglasses should my child wear?
What if he won't wear his glasses? Can he wear contact lenses?
Will his vision problem affect his learning?
Should I worry about how his computer use is affecting his eyes?

Parents of school-age children should stay informed about vision correction options, such as using contact lenses instead of glasses to control nearsightedness or proper eye protection for recreational play and sports. Ensuring that children wear sunglasses is very important, too. (Check out the top five trends in children's sunglasses.)

Does your child have a pet? Tell him to avoid touching his eyes when handling it, not let it crawl on his face or head, and always to wash his hands afterward. This applies to dogs and cats, especially if your child is allergic to their dander. But it is also very important when it comes to pets such as reptiles. Many of these creatures have salmonella on their skin, and contact with the eyes or skin can cause serious illness.

Recently a Utah teenager was handling his pet tarantula, when he touched his eye and immediately felt a burning sensation. Tarantulas are covered with tiny hairs that can penetrate human skin and eyes like tiny spears, causing inflammation.

As reported by KSL TV in Salt Lake City, ophthalmologist Dr. Majid Moshirfar said that sometimes the hairs are so small they cannot be removed from the eye, even when viewed under a microscope.

Unfortunately, most pets don't come equipped with safety warnings. So it is up to parents to research possible health problems before allowing their kids to have a pet. — L.S.

This comprehensive section answers the above questions and many, many more. Consult your pediatrician and eyecare practitioner with specific questions about your child's visual performance, prescription and vision needs. Informed parents working in concert with a caring health-care provider give the best possible care to a child.