Children’s vision

• The first four months
• Four to eight months
• Eight to twelve months
• One to two years
• Two to three years
• Eye tests for babies and toddlers
• Your child’s school years

The first four months

Did you know your newborn baby sees a blurred world of light and dark patterns? As their hand-eye co-ordination and depth perception develops within their first four months, they should begin to follow moving objects and reach for things.

To help your child’s vision develop, hang a mobile outside and above the cot and keep reach-and-touch objects within your baby's focus (20-30 cm away). Remember, toys should be large enough not to be swallowed.

Four to eight months

As your baby begins to turn from side to side and use their arms and legs, eye control and eye/body coordination skills will develop further and both their eyes should begin focusing equally.

To help vision develop during this time, give them different textures and shapes to explore with their fingers. Hang objects across the cot to encourage eye-hand-foot coordination. Play hand clapping games, touching games and peek-a-boo. It’s also a good idea to give them their first teddy bear and other objects with detail, although toys should be large enough not to be swallowed. And have older children play in the same room as your baby too. You’ll find they’ll start to imitate them.

Eight to twelve months

Your baby should be crawling and pulling themselves up by now. They’ll be using their eyes to judge distances, and be able to hold and throw objects with greater precision, so watch out. Crawling is important for developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination, don’t encourage early walking. Start to give your baby toys they can take apart and put back together or stack, and remember that toys should be large enough not to be swallowed.

One to two years

By now, your child's eye-hand coordination and depth perception should be well developed. Encourage walking and help your baby play with building blocks, simple puzzles and balls. Get them into climbing and exploring and give them riding toys to help develop eye-hand-foot coordination.

Two to three years

These are the explorer years. Your toddler will become more interested in their environment and in looking and listening to what’s happening around them. Read or tell your toddler stories as often as you can. Get them drawing, painting and colouring and make them do as many outdoor activities as you can.

Eye tests for babies and toddlers

Your child should visit an eye hub optometrist for an eye test by the time they are six months old. If no problems arise, your eye hub optometrist will probably recommend another check up at three years of age.

During these early years however, be on the look out for these symptoms, as they may indicate earlier professional care.

• An eye turning inward, outward, upward or downward frequently or for long periods.
• A tendency to use one eye more than the other.
• A tendency to bump into objects.
• Red eyes or lids.
• Excessive tearing.
• Encrusted eyelids or frequent stys.

If you notice any of these, talk to your OPSM eye hub optometrist for more information and advice.

Your child’s school years

It’s important for your kids to have healthy eyes and good vision skills at school. They’ll understand what they see. The basic vision skills needed for schooling are:

• Near vision: seeing clearly and comfortably at 25-40 cm, which is the ideal distance at which schoolwork should be done.
• Distance vision: seeing clearly and comfortably beyond their arms reach.
• Binocular co-ordination: using both eyes together.
• Eye movement skills: aiming their eyes accurately, moving them smoothly across a page and shifting them quickly and accurately from one object to another.
• Focusing skills: keeping both eyes focused at the proper distance - to be able to see clearly and to change focus quickly from blackboard to desk, and back again.
• Peripheral awareness: aware of things either side of them, while looking straight ahead.
• Hand-eye co-ordination: able to use eyes and hands together.

If any of these skills are missing, or not functioning properly, then your child will have to work harder, and this can lead to headaches, fatigue and eyestrain.

Don't assume your child has good vision just because they’ve passed a school vision screening, as there’s no substitute for a thorough eye test with your OPSM eye hub optometrist.

Your child may need to come in to see an eye hub optometrist if they are:

• Losing their place while reading or making reversals while reading and writing.
• Using their finger to maintain their place while reading.
• Leaving out or confusing small words when reading.
• Holding reading material closer than normal.
• Avoiding close work.
• Rubbing eyes.
• Getting headaches.
• Turning or tilting the head to use one eye only.
• Performing below potential.

Changes to vision can occur without you or your child knowing, so have your child's vision tested at least every two years, or as recommended by your eye hub optometrist.

After assessing your child's eye test results, we may prescribe glasses, contact lenses or vision therapy. We’ll also recommend preventative measures, such as mild prescription lenses, to be worn only when doing schoolwork, watching TV or using a computer. This will help your child see better and prevent eyestrain.

When your child is using a computer or playing video games, they should take regular rest breaks. Talk to your eye hub optometrist about ways to help avoid vision-related problems.

Here are some suggestions to make viewing easier on your child's eyes:

• Soften the lighting in the room
• Position the screen to avoid glare and reflections.
• Make sure the TV is roughly 2-3 metres away from your child’s eyes.

Remember, this information is for general education only. If any of these issues affect you, seek specific advice from your eye hub optometrist.