Eye care begins in infancy

Baby Duck Face

 

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”