Your baby should have sight from birth. Some babies are born with eye problems or develop eye problems at an early age. Some of these problems can be treated if they are found early.
Important
Contact your public health nurse (PHN) or GP if you think there is something wrong with your child’s eyes.
How your child’s eyesight develops
As your child grows, their eyesight continues to develop.
0 to 6 weeks
Your child will start to focus their gaze on a face or object.
6 to 8 weeks
Your child may:
- look at you
- follow your face and smile back when you smile
- follow a coloured toy that is about 20cms (or 8 inches) away
- move both eyes together
2 to 6 months
Your child may enjoy looking at bright colours and following moving objects with their eyes.
By about 6 months
Your child may:
- look around them with interest
- see across a room
- notice and reach out for small coloured blocks or other objects placed 30cm (or 12 inches) in front of them
- recognise familiar toys and people that are about 2 to 3 metres away
By about 9 months
Your child may:
- reach out to touch objects and toys that they see in front of them
- look at small things such as crumbs of bread that are 30cm (or 12 inches) in front of them
- use their hands and eyes to try to poke at crumbs
- recognise familiar people who are across the room or street
By about 1 year onwards
Your child may:
- recognise and point to objects and toys that they want
- notice people, traffic or animals that are moving and will watch them with interest for a while
Scheduled eye tests
Your child will have regular eye tests from birth to around age 5.
Spotting signs of an eye problem
Although your child will be offered regular eye tests, it's still important to look out for signs of any problems.
Signs of an eye problem in younger children
Signs of an eye problem in younger children include:
- your baby (after 6 to 8 weeks old) does not fix on and follow an object that is 1 to 3 metres away
- their eyes are not looking in the same direction
- not learning to respond to facial expressions - for example, not smiling
- not reaching out to pick up objects
- not noticing and following small objects
- being sensitive to light, even when it’s not very bright - closing their eyes or crying when a light comes on
- rubbing their eyes
- their eyes seem very large or prominent and are sensitive to light
Signs of an eye problem in older children
Signs of a possible eye problem in older children include:
- their eyes are not looking in the same direction
- complaints of eye strain or headaches
- problems reading - for example, they may need to hold books close to their face and often lose their place on the page
- problems with hand-eye coordination - for example, struggling to play ball games
- being unusually clumsy - for example, stumbling or bumping into things
- regularly rubbing their eyes
- sitting too close to the TV
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP or PHN if:
- you have concerns about your child's eyes or eyesight between scheduled eye tests
Catching a problem early can make a big difference.