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14‏/09‏/2011

Baby's Eye

Baby’s Eyes Develop
The eyes begin developing two weeks after conception. Over the next four weeks all of the major eye structures form. During this time the eye is particularly vulnerable to injury.
 During the last seven months of pregnancy the eye continues to grow and mature, and the nerve that connects the eye to the brain (optic nerve) is formed.
What Can a Baby See?
At birth a baby’s eye is about 75 percent of the size of an adult eye. During the first two years of life, the optic nerve, visual function and internal eye structures continue to develop.
The newborn’s visual acuity (sharpness of vision) is approximately 20/400. This is equivalent to seeing only the big letter “E” on an eye chart. Vision slowly improves to 20/20 by age 2 years. Color vision is present at birth.
Baby’s Eyes Exam
The first eye exam takes place in the newborn nursery. The pediatrician performs a screening eye exam to check for infections or structural problems with the eyes: malformed eyelids, cataracts, glaucoma or other abnormalities.
 Eye Problems Occur in Infants
Infections - Some newborns may catch conjunctivitis as they pass through the birth canal. Older babies can get this eye infection through exposure to persons infected with it. Infected eyes appear red and puffy and have a sticky discharge.
* Antibiotic eye drops may be given as treatment.
Blocked tear ducts - Tears drain from the eye through a duct, leading from the inside corner of the eyelid, and into the nose. Some babies are born with a blocked tear duct, which causes tears to back up and overflow. In most cases, the tear ducts open on their own by 1 year of age.
* Sometimes massage therapy of the duct may be needed. Occasionally the ophthalmologist must perform a surgical procedure to unblock the tear duct.
Amblyopia (commonly called lazy eye) is the medical term for a loss of vision in an apparently healthy eye. This occurs in babies and young children if there is an imbalance between the eyes. Amblyopia usually does not have symptoms and often is discovered at a school vision screening. An eye imbalance can occur when there is cataract, strabismus, ptosis (droopy eyelid) or eye injury.
* It is ideally treated by an eye doctor before the child is 6 to 10 years old, or the vision loss will be permanent. Treatment encourages the child to use the lazy eye by wearing glasses, and/or wearing a patch over the “good” eye or instilling an eye drop to the good eye.
Ptosis - In a few children, the muscle that raises the upper eyelid fails to develop properly in one or both eyes. This muscle weakness, which causes the upper eyelid to droop, is called ptosis. Ptosis sometimes may result in amblyopia.
* If the ptosis is severe, surgery is required to lift the eyelid. 
Strabismus - Strabismus means that the eyes are misaligned. For instance, one eye may be turned in- esotropia (crossed eye)- or turned out- exotropia (walleye).
Any infant who continues to show an eye misalignment after 4 months of age or a child who later acquires strabismus should have a complete eye exam. Untreated strabismus may lead to amblyopia.                                       by www.uic.edu



Clean baby eyes
Clean the baby’s eyes with sterile gauze (one for each eye!) Soaked in saline. Start with the cleanest edge for not extending the secretions throughout the eye.
White secretions, sometimes with a little blood, are not synonymous with infection. They are caused by falling levels of progesterone made by the mother during pregnancy. They must disappear by themselves. Otherwise, you’d better talk to your pediatrician.


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