Your infant’s eyesight is their first portal to the world. As soon as your baby is born, they begin exploring the world visually. In fact, your child picks up a wealth of information simply through what they see. A vision problem puts up barriers between what your child can see and what they should see. And sometimes, this can cause developmental delays. In other words, an infant who has vision problems may have difficulty meeting developmental milestones within the normal time frame. This is why it’s important to schedule your infant’s vision screening at the age of 6 months. For families without vision insurance, the InfantSEE program offers no-cost eye assessments for infants up to 12 months old. In Ohio, contact Trillium Vision Care for more information.
HOW DOES THE INFANTSEE PROGRAM WORK IN OHIO?
IntantSEE is a public health program offered by the American Optometry Foundation Association, and it’s designed to make sure every infant has access to proper vision care. If your child is between 6 and 12 months of age, you can find a local eye care provider who participates in the InfantSEE program and schedule a free assessment. There’s no cost to you, and the benefits to your infant are many. Early vision screenings can help detect disorders such as lazy eye, excessive tearing, cortical vision impairment, and more. Early diagnosis and intervention provides for more successful outcomes.
WHY DOES MY INFANT NEED AN EYE ASSESSMENT?
While most infants can see from the moment they’re born, they’re vision isn’t really that good. It improves month-by-month as they grow. The ability to focus, to use both eyes in conjunction with one another, and to move them accurately are skills babies learn as they mature. The ability to correctly interpret what they see also develops over time.
When there’s a vision problem, your infant can’t tell you what’s wrong. Still, the right information isn’t getting where it needs to be. As a result, your baby could have problems meeting their normal first-year milestones. You may notice symptoms of vision impairment within the first six months if your child has a vision impairment.
SYMPTOMS OF VISION PROBLEMS IN INFANTS
If you notice signs of unusual sensitivity or other symptoms of vision problems in your child, contact Trillium Vision Care to schedule a free infant eye exam. Symptoms may include:
- Unusual sensitivity to light
- Excessive tearing
- Eyes that appear red or encrusted
- Excessive eye movement
- Pupils that appear white
As a parent, you’re the one most in-tune with your very young child. Symptoms of vision problems are often relatively easy to spot, and many can be easily cleared up through simple treatment. But early discovery and intervention are key. If your child is at least 6 months old and hasn’t yet had a vision screening, call Trillium Vision Care in Ohio to schedule a no-cost infant eye assessment.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AT MY BABY’S INFANTSEE ASSESSMENT?
Initially, your vision specialist will ask about your child’s medical history, including whether they were born premature, whether the mother had any infections during pregnancy and birth, and whether there were any complications at birth. Additionally, they’ll ask about any family history of eye disorders.
Next, your eye doctor will use specialized equipment to measure your infant’s visual acuity, refractive status, eye movement, eye alignment, and eye health. He may get your child’s attention with a toy and then move the toy to see how your infant’s eyes track the movement. The doctor may also use eye drops and a hand-held instrument to see how the baby’s eyes respond to movement. There may also be photographic testing involved to measure the pupil reflex.
Generally, an InfantSEE vision screening is much more detailed and in-depth than your child’s regular vision screening. As a result, doctors are able to catch many eye conditions that would otherwise have gone undetected.
CONTACT TRILLIUM VISION CARE FOR AN INFANTSEE EYE ASSESSMENT
Call one of our offices today to schedule your next appointment or request your appointment on-line.
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At Trillium Vision Care, we are committed to providing the services our patients need throughout every phase of life – from routine eye examinations and quality eyewear to the treatment of eye diseases and preventative programs. Our goal is to deliver customized solutions, as well as expertise, information, and thoughtful service, so you can feel confident in the care you receive.
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