Baby Vision Impairment in Lancaster, PA

Also Serving Patients in Lititz, Elizabethtown, and Mount Joy

Babies have poor vision at birth but can see faces at close range, even in the newborn nursery. At about six weeks a baby’s eyes should follow objects and by four months should work together. Over the first year or two, vision develops rapidly. A two-year-old usually sees around 20/30, nearly the same as an adult.

Parents should be aware of signals of poor vision. If one eye turns or crosses, that eye may not see as well as the other eye. If the child is uninterested in faces or age-appropriate toys, or if the eyes rove around or jiggle (nystagmus), poor vision should be suspected. Other signs to watch for are tilting the head and squinting. Babies and toddlers compensate for poor vision rather than complain about it. If these symptoms are present, call our office for an evaluation.

Should a baby need glasses, the prescription can be determined fairly accurately by dilating the pupil and analyzing the light reflected through the pupil from the back of the eye.