Your Child's Eyes

It is critical that you start maintaining your child’s eye health as soon as possible! One reason is a child’s visual development reaches maturity between the ages of 9 and 11.
Here are some things to be aware of to help you realize that your child may have a potential vision problem.
* Consistently sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close
* Losing his or her place while reading
* Using a finger to follow along while reading
* Squinting
* Tilting the head to see better
* Frequent eye rubbing
* Sensitivity to light
* Excessive tearing
* Closing one eye to read, watch TV, or see better
* Avoiding activities which require near vision, such as reading or homework, or
distance vision, such as participating in sports or other recreational activities
* Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
* Complaining that computer use hurts the eyes
* Receiving lower grades than usual
According to the American Optometric Association, children should have an eye exam by no later than 6 months old, then again by age 3, and just before starting school. School-age children need an exam every two to three years after that if they have no vision problems. But if your child requires corrective lenses, schedule visits every 12 months.