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**  **Vision Loss Fact                             Sheet
  
**Sharing Concerns**For tips on sharing concerns about a                                     child's development,click on one of the                                     following:                                    -                                    Parent to Physician                                    -                                    Physician to Parent                                    -                                    Parent to Parent
What is vision loss?Vision loss means that a person's eyesight cannot becorrected to a "normal" level, making it hard or impossibleto do daily tasks without eyeglasses, contact lenses, orother assistance. Vision loss can vary greatly amongchildren and can be caused by many things.

What causes loss of vision?Vision loss can be caused by damage to the eye itself, bythe eye being shaped incorrectly, or even by a problemin the brain. Babies can be born unable to see, andvision loss can occur anytime during a person's life.

When should my child be checked?Your child should be checked for vision problems by aneye doctor (an ophthalmologist), pediatrician, or othertrained specialist at:
- newborn to 3 months
- 6 months to 1 year
- about 3 years
- about 5 years

Having your child's vision checked is especially importantif someone in your family has had vision problems.

What are some of the signs of vision loss?A child with vision loss might:
- close or cover one eye
- squint the eyes or frown
- complain that things are blurry or hard to see
- have trouble reading or doing other close-up work, or hold objects close to eyes in order to see
- blink more than usual or seem cranky when doing close-up work (such as looking at books)

One eye of a child with vision loss could look out orcross. One or both eyes could be watery, and one orboth of the child's eyelids could also look red-rimmed,crusted, or swollen.

What can I do if I think my child may have vision loss?If you or your doctor think therecould be a problem, you can take your child to see apediatric eye doctor (ophthalmologist) or other specialist,and you can contact your local early intervention agency(for children under 3) or public school (for children 3 andolder). To find out who to speak to in your area, you cancontact the National Dissemination Center for Children withDisabilities by logging on tohttp://www.nichcy.org/or calling 1-800-695-0285. In addition, the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has informationabout vision loss (www.cdc.gov/ncbddd).

Treating vision problems early may protect your child'ssight, and teaching children with severe vision loss howto function as early as possible can help them reach theirfull potential.

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Date:			May 15, 2007			Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental             Disabilities

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