INFANT AND TODDLER VISION

Most Babies are born with 20/400 eyesight. In an adult, this would be just enough to see the "Big E" on the eye chart, but babies are just starting to explore the world with this vision and don't know the difference between clear, crisp 20/20 and 20/400. They see forms, shapes and jumbled images which they learn to interpret as their acuity, or 20/something vision develops. At 4-6 months a baby typically will develop 20/100 eyesight and at about 1 ½ years old may become 20/20 if the visual system has developed properly. Infants eyes should be checked as part of a child's regular developmental evaluation and any suspicions of abnormality warrant examination by an trained eye specialist.

Infant Eye Turns

Often a baby may appear to have an eye turn when, what looks like an eye turn is actually the structure of the eyelid that hasn't fully developed away from the center of the eye. This can give one eye the appearance of being closer to the nose than the other eye and may appear to the parent as an eye turn. Only a doctor with training in pediatric eye care can tell the difference. DON'T PANIC! Have an eye exam! The technical term for this type of skin growth is an Epicanthal Fold

Clogged Tear Ducts

Clogged Tear Ducts are very common in infants and young children. They occur when the structure that drains tears away from the eye gets clogged with mucous, debris, or is anatomically narrow. Clogged ducts can become infected so it is very important to see an eyecare specialist when noticing your child's eye tears excessively, has a buildup of mucous in one eye and not the other and/or has redness in the upper or lower corner. The technical term for clogged tear ducts is Dacryoadenitis

Conjunctivitis

Conjuntivitis (pink eye) is very common in infants and young children. Conjunctivitis comes in one of 3 forms; Allergic, Viral or Bacterial. Viral and Bacterial Pink eye happens after children touch dirty objects and then rub their eyes. They may also put their hands in their mouth or other orifices and touch their eyes or touch another toddler and transfer virus or bacteria to their eye by rubbing. Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by allergies that affect the sensitive eye tissue and may be made worse by eye-rubbing.