If you wear glasses, you're used to the idea of going through life with the help of an extra set of eyes. But how do you know if you've passed your less than perfect vision down to your baby? When kids are young, it can be tough to know when they are having problems with their eyesight. Until they develop the vocabulary to tell you that something is wrong, you need to be on the lookout for the signs your baby needs glasses.
As pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist, Jane Edmond, M.D. told Parents, most babies don't need glasses and develop normal vision in their first year of life as their brains and eyes develop. Infants are generally checked for overall eye health by their pediatrician within their first year and usually receive their first full vision screening at their three-year-old doctor's visit, according to Kids Health. But you can watch for signs that your baby is having vision problems that might need a doctor's attention such as not following objects, holding objects close to his face, and appearing cross eyed most of the time.
If your baby needs glasses but you're afraid he'll never keep them on, you can rest easy. As Parents suggests, when your baby realizes that the glasses will help his vision, he will most likely keep them on his face. Keep in mind that his vision will change as he grows, but once you find the right pair of glasses for your baby, he'll begin to see the world a whole lot better.