Vision plays an important role in helping children adapt to the world around them and in excel in everyday activities. As a parent, you can help your child by making sure he or she has quality vision care. Start caring for your child's eyes during the first weeks after birth, when vision skills begin to develop, by following these steps:

	Observe your child's behavior for signs such as an eye turning in or out, frowning or eye rubbing.
	Help develop vision skills. Hang a mobile on your baby's crib, keep toys within your baby's view, talk to your baby as you walk around the room, and change the baby's surroundings occasionally.
	Seek early professional care. Take your child to an optometrist for a thorough eye examination before age three and again before entering school. Early diagnosis is important to treatment.

Vision problems among the very young are generally uncommon. Two to be alert for, however, are strabismus (crossed-eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye). Crossed-eyes involve one or both eyes persistently turning inward, outward, upward or downward. If you notice this, it is time to see an optometrist, as untreated crossed-eyes can lead to other vision problems. Lazy eye is one of the most serious. It involves a loss of sharp, clear central vision in one eye which cannot be corrected with glasses. Lazy eye may occur for other reasons, and it usually has no noticeable symptoms. These conditions may be treated with corrective lenses, prisms, eye patching, and/or vision therapy.