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Most parents have questions about the best way to take care of their child's eyes. Dr. Reza Haque, Clinical Research Physician at Novartis Ophthalmics, says eye care should start before age six. According to Dr. Haque, the following questions are those most asked by parents:
Question: My baby's eyes are blue. Will his eyes stay that color or change?
Dr. Haque: The color of eyes is dependent on the amount of melanin pigment in the iris. As an infant begins to develop and acquire more melanin, the blue eyes may change to a darker color. Eye color is also dictated by hereditary factors.
Question: My baby is six months old. How far can she see?
Dr. Haque: She can see everything in her visual environment, but not with perfect 20/20 vision. Visual acuity develops over the primary years for a child and will usually reach 20/20 by age 5.
Question: At what age should my child have his first eye exam?
Dr. Haque: No child is too young for an eye exam. Children should be checked by age 4, just before they start preschool.
Question: Can children have an eye exam if they don't know their letters?
Dr. Haque: Yes. There are different kinds of eye charts especially designed for children. The charts use shapes children know, like squares and circles.
Question: I have heard of 'lazy eye.' What is it?
Dr. Haque: The so-called 'lazy eye' is called amblyopia. It is the result of the lack of development of the visual pathway for one eye. Children with amblyopia wear a patch on the good eye to strengthen the vision in the lazy eye, thus preventing poor vision in that eye.
Question: What causes amblyopia?
Dr. Haque: It could be that one eye either turns in or out, one eye is either very nearsighted or farsighted, or something obstructs the light getting to the back of the eye.
Question: How is amblyopia treated?
Dr. Haque: Children wear a patch over their good eye in order to make the "lazy eye" correct itself. The treatment is not painful, but children may have difficulty seeing clearly when they first wear the patch.
Question: Why can't children tell us if they need glasses or a patch?
Dr. Haque: Children don't know that they can't see correctly. If parents are concerned about their children's vision they should contact their family eye care practitioner.
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