One-Year-Old with Glasses FAQ

Our toddler started wearing glasses at eighteen months old. Everyone is always surprised because she is so young, and we get a lot of the same questions. For the record, we think the glasses are adorable, and we don't mind the questions. But in case you were wondering:

How did you know your daughter needed glasses?

One day in January, I noticed that her eyes crossed when she was eating. The pediatrician recommended that we try eye patching for one hour a day for a couple of weeks. That's another story. Patching didn't really help, so her doctor referred us to a pediatric ophthalmologist, who determined that her vision was the problem.

Why does she need glasses? 

She is farsighted, so near things look blurry. When she works hard to see close objects, her eyes cross. The official diagnosis is accomodative estropia. If we ignored it, her vision would not develop normally. The solution is to provide corrective lenses, so her eyes don't have to work so hard.

How do they test a baby's eyesight?

Instead of using a chart and asking questions, the doctor used objects like colorful stickers and a handheld fan with spinning lights to direct our daughter's attention up close while looking at her eyes through prisms of various sizes. There was a toy at the far end of the room that sang and danced for testing far vision the same way. They used an eyelash spray rather than eye drops to dilate her eyes.

Will she always need glasses?

Maybe. It is too early to tell. Kids' vision changes as they grow.

Will she need surgery for her eyes?

Probably not. The glasses are working to keep her eyes from crossing.

My (insert relative here) has a lazy eye. Is that the same thing?

Nope.

How do you get her to keep the glasses on?

For the most part, she leaves them on. There is a strap around the back that helps to secure the glasses, but she can remove them easily when she wants. When she takes them off, we usually ignore it and wait a few minutes before putting them back on, so it doesn't become a game. She often removes them during car rides and while eating (Side note: I have to wash her glasses after every meal). Sometimes other small children try to remove the glasses for her, and usually she'll hold the glasses to her face. We talk about her pretty purple glasses and how they help her see better. When we learned that she needed glasses, I wore non-prescription glasses for a while (I don't need glasses) to model the behavior and make it seem desirable. She still likes it when I wear the fake glasses, and I still wear them occasionally - especially on days when she seems to keep removing hers. We often talk about glasses and how nice they are.

The eye doctor said that most children quickly learn to wear them because they can notice a significant improvement in their vision.

Can you tell if the glasses are making a difference?

Yes. For starters, she leaves them on. Also, her eyes don't cross when she wears them, but when she takes them off, they do cross. 

For peek-a-boo she likes to hide by covering her eyes with her hands (Where is she?), then uncover her eyes (There she is!). But she sometimes plays by lifting up her glasses (Where is she?), then putting the glasses back on (There she is!). 

That tells me that she notices that removing her glasses impairs her vision, kind of like covering her eyes. 

What I have learned from this experience is that pediatric ophthalmology is pretty cool to watch, tricky to spell, and fun to say.