Toddler eye problems and how to care for them

One of the important responsibilities of parenting lies in detecting vision problems in toddlers; since a vision chart cannot be used it is very difficult to spot vision problems in them. Parents need to be vigilant and observant about their toddler.

This calls for a first time baseline eye evaluation as early as 6 months by an eye care professional; it becomes more importance when there is a family history of eye problem and when something unusual is noticed. The diagnosis and treatment of eye problems require looking out for signs of problem.

Be on the lookout for signs of vision problems:

• His/her eyes look crossed or don’t move in unison.

• Your toddler unlike other kids that skillfully avert objects bumps into them. 

• Your toddler could be frequently rubbing his/her eyes or there could be tears for no apparent reason.

• He/she complains of pain in the head, holds one’s head, dislikes bright lights and loud sounds, furrows one’s brow and complains that his/her head hurts.

• He/she has signs of dizziness, seems off balance and complains of seeing spots. 

• Your toddler could complain of nausea; he/she loses ones appetite, complains of tummy ache, or vomits. 

• Do you wonder if Elmo looks more like Clifford to your toddler; does he/she sit too close to the TV. 

• Look out if your toddler gazes by squinting or cocking his head to one side. 

Any of these symptoms indicate your toddler has one of the common eye problems. 

Some of the common eye problems are:

Refractive errors:

These errors occur due to irregular shape of the cornea that distorts the toddler’s sight. Common refractive errors could be nearsightedness or myopia, farsightedness or hyperopia or astigmatism. 

A toddler is myopic if he/she does not clearly see objects far off, but sees objects close by. If a toddler sees far off objects, but has a blurred vision for objects close by he/she is hyperopic. If your toddler is unable to focus and has a blurred vision, he/she is astigmatic.

All these errors can be remedied with appropriate glasses.

Strabismus or cross eyed: 

Referring to the problem when a toddler’s eye has weak eye muscle and wanders, the toddler’s eyes do not align or move in the same direction. 

Early treatment of this eye problem helps to prevent more advanced eye problems. A patch is put over the stronger eye for a few hours in the day to train the weaker eye to work better. The good eye could also be blurred with eye drops in order to force the weaker eye to work. Some other treatment methods include eye muscle exercises to strengthen the weak eye and realign them; specially designed spectacles may also be prescribed. The last option for treating this problem of the eye lies in surgery.

Amblyopia or lazy eye

Untreated strabismus in your toddler leads to amblyopia. The brain starts to ignore the image coming from the weak or wandering eye in order to avoid a double vision and fails to learn to see better with the weak eye. 

Treatment for amblyopia like strabismus lies in an eye patch, eye drops, special glasses, or surgery.

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