General Eye Care and Safety for Children

All children should have their eyes examined by an eye doctor by the age of 4.  However, if your child has any signs of vision problems, they should see a doctor right away. If it is not taken care of early, it can result in lifelong vision problems.

Signs of Vision Problems 

In Babies:

• Eyes shake or vibrate
• Stares at lights
• Eyes cross, turn out, or drift. Does not stop by 3 months of age.
• Does not look at bright toys or faces by 3 months of age
• Abnormal or uneven, red/orange color pupils

In Children:

• Shut or cover eye(s)
• Eyes that burn or itch
• Squint, blink, and rub the eye(s) often
• Headaches or tiredness after doing up close work
• Tilt their head up, down, or to the side when looking at objects
• Get styes (small, painful pimples on the eyelids) often
• Excessive redness or water of the eye(s)
• Cloudiness on the front of the eye or inside the eye
• Often has red eyes without a known cause
• Eyelids are stuck together when your child wakes up or there is crust in the eyelids or eyelashes

Eye Safety Tips

• Avoid sharp, broken toys and objects
• Wear sport goggles and sunglasses
• Do not play around lawn mowing and fireworks
• Avoid BB, pellet, NERF^®, and dart guns
• Keep chemicals, sprays, and laundry/dishwashing pods locked up and out of reach 

General Eye Care and Safety for Children (PDF), Arabic (PDF), Nepali (PDF), Somali (PDF), Spanish (PDF)

HH-IV-62 12/82, Revised 3/22 Copyright 1982 Nationwide Children’s Hospital