Vision Care for Babies - Baby Your Baby serving Families in Utah

Eye care begins in infancy

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends children receive comprehensive eye exams on a regular schedule that begins in infancy.
The first comprehensive baseline eye exam should be received by an eye doctor between the ages of 6 months and 12 months. The InfantSee program provides a one-time, no-cost eye and vision assessment for babies 6 to 12 months old.

A second comprehensive eye exam should be given before school to check for any conditions that could have long-term effects.

Helping Your Child’s Vision Develop

Birth through 1st Month	Hold your face 8 to 15 inches from your baby’s face, move your head back and forth to help your baby follow objects Hold a black and white patterned object and slowly move up and down and side to side in front of your baby’s face Place your baby in the crib from different directions Change the location of the crib to help your baby see the world differently Hang a mobile off to the side so your baby can see it. Change the position every other day
2nd and 3rd Months	Looking at your baby, smile, sing, or talk to your baby Hold a favorite toy or bottle in front of your baby and slowly move the object from side to side or up and down Allow your baby to explore objects with his or her hand. Place a rattle in your baby’s hands and help your baby shake the rattle
3rd and 4th Months	Allow your baby to bat at objects held in front of his or her face Continue allowing your baby to explore toys with his or her mouth Hold a toy in one had toward the right side of your baby’s face and shake the toy. Do the same with a different toy on the left side Begin playing “peek-a-boo” with your baby
4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Months	Hold your baby in your lap and look at brightly colored books. Read to your child daily Roll a ball across the room. Begin playing “patty cake” Give your baby toys that can be explored with the hands and mouth. Encourage your baby to reach for favorite toys Begin playing on the floor with your baby every day Carry your baby through your home, down the block, or around the neighborhood to give your baby different things to see Through the day, talk to your baby about the things you see and what you are doing Give your baby an unbreakable mirror
8th, 9th 10, 11th and 12th Months	Talk to your baby often to help your baby link objects to the names of those objects Place soft objects on a high chair tray than can be pushed off and dropped to the floor Allow your baby to finger-feed Give your baby a container and objects to put in and take out of the container Sit on the floor and roll a ball to your baby Begin encouraging your baby to point to pictures in a book as you ask, “Where is ?” Continue to play “peek-a-boo”