Here are commonly asked questions of eye doctors related to babies and their vision.

#1 How often should babies and children have their eyes checked?

All babies should have their first eye exam at 6 months of age, even if no visual problems are suspected.

During an eye exam, the eye doctor will check your baby’s visual development and for any visual problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, eye movement ability and eye alignment.

If no problems are detected, and your child’s eyes continue to be healthy, your optometrist will let you know when to schedule their next eye exam.

If you suspect your child has an eye condition, contact an eye doctor near you, who can diagnose and treat the condition.

SEE RELATED: Your Baby’s Vision Development

#2 What are the most common vision problems in babies and toddlers?

The most common vision problems in babies and toddlers are refractive errors (farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism), amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eye turn), genetic eye diseases, congenital abnormalities, pediatric ptosis and nystagmus.

#3 How does an eye doctor test for a refractive error?

When testing for a refractive error the eye doctor may use lenses and light from a small hand-held instrument to assess how the eye responds to particular targets.

The doctor may also repeat this test after dilating the eyes to enlarge the pupil and stabilize the baby’s focusing.

Infants typically have some degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism not requiring correction.

Studies show that up to 50 percent of infants under 12 months have significant astigmatism, long-sightedness or lazy eyes.

#4 What can a baby see?

While babies have poor vision at birth, they can see faces at close range.

At about six weeks a baby’s eyes should be able to follow objects, and by four months the eyes should work together.

Over the first year or two, a baby’s vision develops rapidly. A two-year-old typically has  20/30 vision, nearly the same as an adult.

#5 As a parent, what can I do to help with my baby’s visual development?

There are many things a parent can do. The following are a few examples of age-appropriate activities that can help with an infant’s visual development.

From birth to 4 months

• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus (about 8 to 12 inches from your baby)
• Use a dim lamp or nightlight in your baby’s room
• Alternate left and right sides with each feeding
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room

From 5 to 8 months

• Give your baby plenty of time to play on the floor
• Hang a mobile or place various objects across the crib for the baby to grab, pull and kick
• Play patty cake and other games that involve moving the baby’s hands through the motions while saying the words aloud
• Provide soft blocks that they can hold with their hands

From 9 to 12 months

• Encourage crawling and creeping
• Play hide-and-seek games with toys or peek-a-boo to help the baby develop visual memory

As a baby’s eyes are constantly changing, it’s important to get their eyes checked to ensure they are reaching their visual milestones.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can assess your child’s eye health and diagnose any problems.

The post Vision Problems and Babies: Part 2 Q&A appeared first on Optometrists.org.

All babies should have their eyes examined when they reach 6 months.

Babies depend heavily on their vision to explore and learn about the world around them. Many people are unaware that vision, like walking and talking, is a learned ability and your baby’s eyes benefit from visual stimulation.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure your child’s eyes and vision are developing normally. Parents and caregivers should be aware of the warning signs mentioned below, as they may indicate the need to see an optometrist.

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you to make sure your baby’s eyes are developing properly.

SEE RELATED: Vision Problems and Babies: Part 2 Q&A

Signs That May Indicate a Vision Problem In Infants

The following signs and symptoms may indicate your baby has a vision problem:

• Difficulty maintaining eye contact
• Excessive tearing or watery eyes
• Extreme light sensitivity
• Eye pain or discomfort that doesn’t resolve
• Eyes that rapidly move from side to side or up and down
• Eye turn, when one eye turns inward, outward, up or down
• Persistent eye redness

• Squinting or head tilting
• Very droopy eyelids
• White or grayish coloring in the pupil

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you who can evaluate your baby’s eyes.

Visual Milestones

The visual milestones mentioned below are vital to achieve as your baby grows into a toddler during the first two years of life.

0-4 Months 

When babies are born, they are usually able to focus on objects that are about 9 inches away (the distance between their eyes and their parent’s face while being held).

After a few months, a baby’s vision develops quickly, enabling them to monitor moving objects with their eyes and begin to learn hand-eye coordination.

If you find that your newborn’s eyes tend to be crossed or that one eye turns outward at times, this is usually  nothing to worry about and will likely go away as their visual system progresses.

Important:, if you notice anything unusual, schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you.

After 3 to 4 months, babies should be able to reach for things and track moving objects.

5-8 Months

Babies begin to see the world in 3 dimensions at around 5 months. Color and depth perception are new visual skills that evolve during these months.

Most babies start to learn to crawl at this age. Crawling helps a baby’s hand-foot-body coordination while also strengthening their visual system. When they crawl, babies look up into the distance, then down at their hands, then back up again.

Binocular vision and hand-eye coordination are improved by constantly changing their points of focus in coordination with their own movement.

9-12 Months 

At this age, a baby should be able to pick up small objects with their thumb and forefinger.

Most babies may also attempt to pull themselves to a standing position. They may even try to walk. Encouraging a child to crawl as soon as possible can help them develop hand-eye coordination and binocular vision.

A baby of this age should also have a good sense of distance.

12-24 Months 

Typically, by the age of 2, hand-eye coordination is well developed. Toddlers this age are able to point out objects in a picture book and recognize faces.

What Can Parents Do For Their Baby’s Visual Health? 

In order to develop a healthy visual system, babies need visual stimulation. Parents should engage in age-appropriate activities that will boost their child’s visual development.

Ways to help with visual development include:

• Providing plenty of free play with toys on the floor
• Talking to your baby as you walk around the room to help develop their visual tracking skills
• Reading books and pointing to objects
• Giving your child building blocks and balls that support visual spatial skills and fine motor skills.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

If your baby is nearly 6 months old, or if you suspect  a visual problem whatever your child’s age, schedule an evaluation with an eye doctor near you.

The earlier any visual problems are diagnosed, the better the outcome.

The post Babies and Vision Problems appeared first on Optometrists.org.

Most baby’s eyes are assessed by a neonatologist within a few days after birth.

Undetected vision problems could affect your baby’s abilities to interact with the environment around them and result in learning or reading delays.

Studies show that up to half of all infants in their first 2 years have astigmatism and long-sightedness.

Here are some answers to questions related to babies and their vision.

#1 Does my baby need eye exams?

Yes, all babies should have their first eye exam at 6 months of age, even if no visual problems are suspected. The most common vision problems in babies and toddlers are farsightedness and astigmatism.

Up to 5% of all infants have amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (eye turn).

#2 What does my baby see?

When babies open their eyes, their vision is fixed at about 12 inches (30 cm). This allows them to see their mother’s face and learn to recognize the source of their food.

At about six weeks a baby’s eyes should be able to follow objects, at about 1-2 meters away and by four months the eyes should work together.

Over the first year or two, a baby’s vision develops rapidly. A two-year-old typically sees around 20/30 vision, nearly the same as an adult.

#3 How can I help my baby’s visual development?

There are many things a parent can do to help their baby’s vision develop. The following are a few examples of age-appropriate activities that can help with an infant’s visual development.

From birth to 4 months;

• Place soft toys within your baby’s focus (up to 12 inches)
• Use a dim lamp or nightlight in your baby’s room
• Feed from alternate left and right breasts
• Talk softly from 12-24 inches away

From 5 to 8 months;

• Encourage floor play and exploration
• Use crib mobile for the baby to grab, pull and kick
• Stimulate grabbing and touching soft objects

From 9 to 12 months;

• Encourage crawling and creeping
• Play hide-and-seek games with toys

As a baby’s eyes are constantly changing, it’s important to get their eyes checked at 6 months and again at 2-3 years of age.

If you notice anything unusual, such as an eye turn, it is important to see an optometrist with experience in babies.

Schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor near you who can discuss your baby’s visual development and ensure they are meeting their milestones.

The post Does my Baby have a Vision Problem? appeared first on Optometrists.org.

There is a significant correlation between retained primitive reflexes and vision skill deficits in the children, ages 6-14. This was shown in a published clinical trial, by a private behavioral optometric practice near Cleveland, Ohio, to examine the relationship between Visual Skill Deficits (VSD) and retained primitive reflexes in children ages 6-14.

What are retained primitive reflexes?

To a parent, the primitive reflexes can be seen as their baby’s ability to crawl, reach for and grab objects and move or tilt their head in response to sound or movement. These movements are signs of a healthy newborn.

However, as a baby’s brain matures, they should lose these basic primitive reflexes and no longer display them after 5-7 months.

If you are concerned that your child has retained primitive reflexes, visit your eye doctor for an eye exam.

How does vision therapy help?

A vision therapy program is a customized program of exercises aimed to improve the maturation of the baby’s brain and neural pathways.

By using rhythmic movement training techniques that mimicking a developing infant’s movements, children are able to integrate these retained reflexes.

Once these reflexes are integrated by the body, many behavioral and learning issues affected by retained primitive reflexes become resolved.

Since, vision is directly connected to the brain, when our brains are not properly developed it is important to address the issue. By addressing retained primitive reflexes, a vision therapy program provides the most comprehensive approach to resolving problems that arise.

Contact an eye doctor near you that can conduct eye exams that can help find a solution to your child’s needs.

SEE RELATED: What are Retained Primitive Reflexes?

Which reflexes are corrected?

Although there are many primitive reflexes, vision therapy programs focus on five reflexes that affect vision.

Moro Reflex

The earliest primitive reflex is the Moro reflex, this affects motor, ocular, vestibular, and visual perceptual skills.

Symptoms include:

• Allergies
• Biochemical and nutritional imbalances
• Difficulty with black print on white paper
• Exaggerated startle reflex
• Eye movement and visual processing problems
• Frequent infections
• Hyperactivity
• Inner ear problems
• Light sensitivity
• Low self-esteem
• Motion sickness
• Poor auditory discrimination
• Poor balance
• Poor coordination
• Poor stamina
• Tense muscle tone
• Often in “Fight or Flight” mode

Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

TLR affects muscle tone, balance, ocular motor, balance, and auditory discrimination.

Symptoms include:

• Dislike of sports
• Eye movement, spatial and visual perceptual problems
• Fear of heights
• Motion sickness
• Poor balance
• Poor coordination
• Poor organization skills
• Poor posture and/or stooping
• Poor sense of time
• Poor sequencing skills
• Stiff or jerky movements
• Toe walking
• Weak muscle tone

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

STNR affects crossing midline, focusing from near to far, and fixation.

Symptoms include:

• ADD/ADHD characteristics
• Anchors feet behind chair while sitting
• Difficulties with adjusting focus from far to near
• Difficulty aligning numbers for math problems
• Difficulty catching and/or tracking a ball
• Difficulty recognizing social cues
• Difficulty swimming
• Learning problems
• Messy eater
• Poor depth perception and balance
• Poor posture
• Poor hand-eye coordination
• “W” position when sitting on the floor

Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

ATNR affects eye tracking, midline issues, handwriting, balance, and laterality.

Symptoms include:

• ADD/ADHD characteristics
• Difficulty catching a ball
• Difficulty crossing the midline
• Difficulty keeping place when copying
• Difficulty learning to ride a bicycle
• Focusing problems (especially when switching from near to distance)
• Mixed laterality (uses left foot, right hand or uses left or right hand interchangeably)
• Poor balance when moving head side to side
• Poor expression of ideas on paper
• Poor handwriting
• Poor pursuits (smooth eye movements)

Spinal Galant Reflex

Spinal Galant reflex affects short-term memory, the ability to sit still, concentration problems, and bedwetting.

Symptoms include:

• ADHD characteristics
• Bedwetting
• Fidgety or wiggly (especially when sitting)
• Poor concentration
• Poor short-term memory
• Sensory issues with food texture or tags or waistbands in clothing

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

If you are concerned about your child’s development, contact an eye doctor near you to schedule an appointment, they will provide you with information on how a vision therapy program could benefit your child.

The post Vision Therapy for Primitive Reflexes appeared first on Optometrists.org.

The foundation of a child’s ability to learn and develop starts with their primitive reflexes. In their first few months of life, primitive reflexes — the reflex actions in the central nervous system — are crucial for the development of their brain.

To a parent, the primitive reflexes can be seen as their child’s ability to grab with their fingers, crawl, move or tilt their head in response to sound or movement. These slight movements are signs of a healthy newborn.

However, very importantly, as a baby’s brain matures, they should lose these basic primitive reflexes and no longer display them after 5-7 months.

Retained primitive reflexes can impact a child’s learning, attention, reading and sports performances. 

Retained primitive reflexes may  result from a problem at birth or during those first few months of infant development. Retained primitive reflexes can show itself from something as small as a lack of crawling to something more severe like a child that is prone to falls or poor body control.

When a child retains primitive reflexes it can not only affect their development but their vision as well.

If you are concerned that your child has retained primitive reflexes, visit your eye doctor for an eye exam.

Contact an eye doctor near you that can conduct eye exams that can help find a solution to your child’s needs.

SEE RELATED: Anxiety Activated by Reflex Codes

What are primitive reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are involuntary/automatic movements essential for the development of head control, sensory integration, and overall development. Primitive reflexes combine into the growing brain, as a baby grows.

These actions should no longer be active as these movements become controlled and voluntary.

Retained primitive reflexes can significantly affect a child’s school achievements, confidence and self esteem. 

Movement is crucial to integrating primitive reflexes. Movement and vision go hand-in-hand. The integration of primitive reflexes allows a person to move through the world as they develop through the early childhood stages of life. Each stage of development is affected by the integration of primitive reflexes, from fine motor to gross motor to oculomotor.

Causes of retained primitive reflexes

There are many reasons which may contribute to primitive reflexes being retained or “active.”

Retained primitive reflexes may be the result of:

• Lack of movement in utero
• Stress of the mother and/or baby during pregnancy
• Infants spending extended time in car seats, carriers, walkers or jumpers, all of which restrict movements.
• Illness, injury, trauma, chronic stress
• Other developmental delays

If later on in life there is a trauma, injury, or stress, reflexes that are integrated may become reactivated.

When primitive reflexes are not integrated, it is important to take care of those missing developmental stages.

Fortunately, with vision therapy, there are ways to retrain and assess the brain which ultimately helps develop the neural pathways necessary to ensure the maturing of your child’s brain.

Vision therapy and primitive reflexes

A vision therapy program provides exercises to address primitive reflexes.

By imitating the movements of an infant in developing, using rhythmic movement training techniques, patients are able to integrate these retained reflexes.

After a program of vision therapy the behavioral and learning issues affected by retained primitive reflexes may become resolved.

Vision is directly connected to the brain. By addressing retained primitive reflexes, a vision therapy program provides the most comprehensive approach to resolving problems that arise.

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

If you are concerned about your child’s vision, contact an eye doctor near you to schedule an appointment, they will provide you with information about on vision therapy and the benefits to your child. 

The post What are Retained Primitive Reflexes? appeared first on Optometrists.org.

The Vision Development Team

If you frequently experience bouts of anxiety, you are not alone. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety is very prevalent in today’s society.

Consider these facts:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) affects about 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
• Specific phobias affect 19 million adults, or 8.7% of the U.S. population.
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects more than 16.1 million American adults, or about 6.7% of the U.S. population, and is a leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.3.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2.2 million adults, or 1.0% of the U.S. population.
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), closely related to anxiety disorders, affects 7.7 million adults, or 3.5% of the U.S. population.

Children hide their anxieties

Symptoms of anxiety often start in childhood or adolescence, and children find clever ways of hiding their anxiety.  

As they grow older, anxiety builds until eventually it becomes too hard to disguise.   Unfortunately, anxiety builds quickly, and a once happy child may become a trapped adult.  Trapped by the inability to break through the restraints of relentless feelings of never-ending stress to intense fear.  These emotions can cause barriers limiting one’s ability to joyfully engage in many of life’s great opportunities.

According to ADAA, only 36.9 percent of those suffering from anxiety ever receive treatment.

One surprising, but highly effective form of therapy is reflex integration therapy.   

This therapy approach retrains the nervous system by targeting primitive reflexes that may be at the root of many anxiety disorders.

What are primitive reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are movements that occur automatically without thinking.  There are several primitive reflexes that emerge in sequential order during development.

The first primitive reflex can be first seen as early as five weeks gestation of a growing fetus.  Each reflex acts as a type of neurological code that has a specific purpose in developing our brains and coordinating our bodies.

Primitive reflexes are controlled by the oldest most primitive part of our brain, the brainstem.  These reflexes have a significant role in our physical and psychological development.

Primitive reflexes are most active in utero and for the first year of life. After that, our brains should be developed enough not to need their activity.   At that point, the primitive reflex codes become integrated with higher level brain functions and their activity becomes inhibited until they are no longer even active.

If you suspect your child has an eye condition, contact an eye doctor near you, who can diagnose and treat the condition.

SEE RELATED: What are Retained Primitive Reflexes?

How do primitive reflexes affect a child?

It appears that more and more children are growing up with retention of their primitive reflexes, where the body should be maturing beyond this stage.

Their continued activity of these primitive reflexes, to any degree, causes interference with:

• Vision skill development
• Listening skills
• Balance
• Coordination
• Attention
• Emotional regulation
• Psychological development

What causes the retention of primitive reflexes?

There are many things that can interfere with the developing nervous system, causing primitive reflex activity to persist into childhood or adulthood.

Some examples include:

• Traumatic birth or C-section
• Lack of tummy time
• Lack of belly crawling
• Chronic ear infections
• Food allergies

Even if reflexes were integrated by the first birthday, their activity can return after a brain injury, psychological trauma, concussion, stroke or even from a significant amount of unmanaged stress.

Reflex integration therapy

Fortunately, some vision therapy programs can provide primitive reflex integration therapy and can identify and treat persistent primitive reflex activity.  

By treating the underlying neurological activity, and maturing our neurological foundations, anxiety is reduced while our visual skills, attention, balance, coordination, and cognitive functions improve.

Life is more enjoyable when you feel confident and emotionally balanced.   

LEARN MORE: Guide to Visual Development

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam, and to discuss any questions you may have about treating your child’s eye condition.

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