Watching your baby grow into the active toddler stage is exciting. Your child's small world is expanding, and he or she can now play with a larger variety of toys, enjoy looking at books, and even develop a fondness for certain cartoon programs. This new and exciting world your child is experiencing is largely due to the development of better motor skills and increased visual acuity. In fact, by the age of one, your child's vision is fully developed. However, even though your toddler's vision is now as developed as yours, this doesn't mean that he or she is seeing well. A number of vision problems can appear during the toddler years, and you'll need to be able to spot the early signs of vision trouble that warrant a visit to your optometrist. Here are three common signs of vision trouble to watch for.
Tilting of the Head
One very common and often missed sign of vision trouble is head tilting. Watch your child closely when he or she is playing or watching TV. Does your toddler tilt his or her head while doing these activities? Head tilting includes a number of different head positions such as
- leaning the head to one side
- holding the head with the chin up or down
- turning the head to one side
If your toddler is tilting his or her head, it may be a sign that he or she can't see well. Tilting the head allows your toddler to correct for a number of vision problems, such as astigmatism, one eye not seeing as well as the other, and problems with the muscles of the eyes.
Eye Rubbing
It's quite common for your child to rub his or her eyes when they are sleepy. However, a child that rubs his or her eyes frequently may be exhibiting signs of an eye problem. Eye fatigue (tired eyes) can occur for a number of different reasons, including
- increased strain because your child isn't seeing well
- problems with the eye muscles
- issues with glare
Frequent eye rubbing is your child's attempt to make his or her eyes focus better.
Poor Hand-Eye Coordination
As your child begins playing with more advanced toys (like placing shaped blocks into the correct slots), coloring, and drawing, signs of poor hand-eye coordination can become more apparent.
When your child can't see well, it's much harder for him or her to coordinate the movement of the hands and eyes. Simple tasks like matching shapes, coloring inside the lines and placing objects (like blocks) together become very difficult. More than just making playtime difficult and frustrating, vision related hand-eye coordination problems could also affect your child's ability to learn.
If you notice that your child is displaying any of these signs of vision trouble, it's time to see your eye doctor. Correcting vision problems promptly will help your child to see better, which will not only help your child to enjoy playtime, but also enable him or her to learn more easily.
For more information, contact Vision Eyeland Super Optical LLC or a similar location.
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