St. Louis Children’s Hospital

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Vision Overview

Vision Overview

When an infant first emerges into the world, his/her eyesight is immature. While the infant can see the form of his/her mother and can tell the difference between light and dark, the ability to focus has not been developed. Monitoring your child's ability to see is an important part of the health of your growing child.

Facts about vision problems:

  • More than one in 20 million preschoolers have vision problems of a type that can lead to vision loss if not treated.
  • More than 12.1 million, or one in 4, school-aged children have some type of vision problem.
  • Without proper screening, vision problems may not be noticed.

Risk factors for having problems with vision:

The following are some of the risk factors that may increase your child's chances for having some problems with his/her vision:

  • maternal infections while pregnant
  • heart disease in the infant
  • any problems with the actual structure of the eye that the child is born with
  • family history of problems with vision
  • hearing problems
  • premature infant
  • trauma to the eye

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Online Resources of Growth & Development

St. Louis Children's Hospital is affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.

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St. Louis Children's Hospital • One Children's Place • St. Louis, MO • 63110 • 314.454.6000