Your baby has a whole lifetime to see and learn. But did you know your baby also has to learn to see? As a parent, there are many things that you can do to help your baby's vision develop.

At about six months of age, you should take your baby to your doctor of optometry for his or her first thorough eye examination. Things that the optometrist will test for include excessive or unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism.

The doctor will also test eye movement ability as well as check for eye health problems. These problems are not common, but it is important to identify children who have them at this stage. Vision development and eye health problems can be more easily corrected if treatment is begun early.

Unless you notice a need, or your doctor of optometry advises you otherwise, your child's next examination should be around age three and then again before he or she enters school.

During the first four months of life, your baby should begin to follow moving objects with their eyes and reach for things, first by chance and later more accurately as hand-eye coordination and depth perception begin to develop.

To help, use a nightlight or other dim lamp in your baby's room; change the crib's position frequently and your child's position in it. Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby's focus, about eight to twelve inches. Also talk to your baby as you walk around the room; alternate right and left sides with each feeding; and hang a mobile above and outside the crib.
 

Between four and eight months, your baby should begin to turn from side to side and use his or her arms and legs. Eye movement and eye/body coordination skills should develop further and both eyes should focus equally. Enable your baby to explore different shapes and textures with his or her fingers; give your baby the freedom to crawl and explore; hang objects across the crib; and play "patty cake" and "peek-a-boo" with your baby.

From eight to twelve months, your baby should be mobile now, crawling and pulling himself or herself up. He or she will begin to use both eyes together and judge distances and grasp and throw objects with greater precision. To support development don't encourage early walking - crawling is important in developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination; give your baby stacking and take-apart toys; and provide objects your baby can touch, hold and see at the same time.

From one to two years, your child's eye-hand coordination and depth perception will continue to develop and he or she will begin to understand abstract terms. Things you can do are encourage walking; provide building blocks, simple puzzles and balls; and provide opportunities to climb and explore indoors and out.

There are many other affectionate and loving ways in which you can aid your baby's vision development. Use your creativity and imagination. Ask your doctor of optometry to suggest other specific activities.

During the infant and toddler years, your child has been developing many vision skills and has been learning how to see. In the preschool years this process continues as your child develops visually guided eye-hand-body coordination, fine motor skills and the visual motor skills necessary to learn to read.

As a parent, you should watch for signs that may indicate a vision development problem, including a short attention span for the child's age, difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination in ball play and bike riding or avoidance of coloring and puzzles and other detailed activities.

There are everyday things that you can do at home to help your preschooler's vision develop as it should.

These activities include reading aloud to your child and letting him or her see what you are reading. Provide your child a chalkboard, finger paints and different shaped blocks and show your child how to use them in imaginative play. Provide safe opportunities to use playground equipment like a jungle gym and balance beam and allow them time for interacting with other children and for playing independently.
 

By age three, your child should have a thorough optometric eye examination to make sure your preschooler's vision is developing properly and there is no evidence of eye disease. If needed, your doctor can prescribe treatment including glasses and/or vision therapy to correct a vision development problem.

Unless recommended otherwise, your child's next eye examination should be at age five. By comparing test results of the two examinations, your optometrist can tell how well your child's vision is developing for the next major step into the school years.

A good education for your child starts with good schools, good teachers and good vision. Your child's eyes are constantly in use in the classroom and at play. When his or her vision is not functioning properly, learning and participation in recreational activities will also suffer.

If any of these or other vision skills are lacking or do not functions properly, your child will have to work harder. This can lead to headaches, fatigue and other eyestrain problems. As a parent, be alert for symptoms that may indicate your child has a vision or visual processing problem.

The results of a 2001 study by Prevent Blindness America showed over 38,000 people experienced a sport related eye injury and needed emergency room treatment, and in some cases, even further attention. Some of the highest eye injuries occur in children between the ages of 5 to 14 and are caused by participation in basketball, baseball, softball, football, racquet sports, and swimming.

Nearly one-half of eye injuries require costly emergency room care. It's also important to remember that even if an eye injury seems to be minor; it may be serious. Symptoms like loss of vision or severe pain or tenderness in ducts around the eye require immediate medical attention.
Don't Be Duped

If your child plays a sport that requires a helmet or face guard, don't make the mistake of thinking your child's eyes are protected from injuries. Your child's eyes are still exposed to danger from sports equipment or an opponent's fingers penetrating the openings of a face mask.
Likewise, if your child wears glasses, everyday fashion eyewear is not held to the same protective standards as regular eyewear products labeled as protective eyewear for sport use. The lens in your child's regular eyeglasses could easily pop out and puncture or cut the eye. A frame mangled from impact could also injure the eyes and ocular region of the face.
You Can Take Action

The good news is that you can help prevent your child from being sidelined because of a serious eye injury. You can make the decision to protect their eyes as well as the rest of their body by adding protective sport goggles to their equipment bag.
While sport goggles provide significant protection, they cannot guarantee to be unbreakable or guard against all foreseeable impacts. However, a quality pair of sport goggles equipped with polycarbonate lenses can be sight savers since they help keep the eyes and surrounding ocular region safe. For kids who need corrective prescription lenses, the Barrington Eye Care Center can make a pair of prescription lenses that fit into their sports goggles.

The important thing for parents and their children who wear contact lenses to remember is that contacts are prescribed medical devices. Contact lenses are not a cosmetic accessory. While the wearer may be happy about his or her new look, it's extremely important that the lenses be properly cleaned and worn according to the instruction of the optometrist.