Tips for assessing vision in a baby or child

摘要

There is no need to be anxious about examining a baby. If the baby is awake and attentive, there is a lot you can find out by asking the parents and simply observing the baby’s reactions. First ask the parents what they think about their baby’s vision. Notice how the baby looks at things in the room, such as the window or any lights. Watch for eye contact between the baby and parents. Does the baby look when someone comes into the room? Does the baby respond to silent smiles or to raised eyebrows? Do you get eye contact? You should have realistic expectations about what a baby should be able to do by a certain age. Table 1 shows when a baby is too young to show a visual response, when the response is likely to develop, and at what age you should be worried if a baby does NOT show the expected response. You can ask the mother or check the baby’s responses yourself.