Vision disturbances can be irritating impediments for children and adults who are perfectly capable of voicing their symptoms and discomfort. But for toddlers, who have a harder time explaining particular physical difficulties, even simple vision problems can go untreated – and escalate. Certain eye conditions and diseases do affect small children and are best treated at an early age so that the problems associated with them do not progress.

According to the American Academy of Opthalmology (AAO), although newborns are born with the ability to see, their vision improves during the first few months of life and continues to develop during the early childhood years. If, however, "a child does not use his or her eyes normally, vision does not develop properly and may even decrease. After the first nine years of life, the visual system is usually fully developed and usually can not be changed," according to the AAO's Eyenet.com, the organization's official Web site. For these reasons, it's a good idea for parents – especially those with a history of specific eye conditions and diseases – and those who wear glasses, to be aware of any indication that a toddler is having trouble seeing.

As a general rule, your child's first vision screening will be performed by his pediatrician at a well baby visit by 3 months of age. Pediatrician Dr. Herbert Krantman explains that this initial screening involves the "red reflex" test, where a light is shined into the baby's eyes so that the doctor may see if there are any cataracts or any other type of visual obstructions. The "corneal light reflex" test is also performed. The physician shines a light onto the baby's cornea to see if the light is reflected back from the same part of the cornea. This checks for any possible misalignment. The doctor also will examine the baby externally to see if there are any structural defects that would indicate a problem.

Between 6 and 12 months, the red reflex and corneal light reflex tests are performed again, and the physician will carry out an occlusion of each eye separately. In this test, the physician will place a patch or a hand over each eye in turn and see how the baby reacts. If the baby has a weak eye, he or she will presumably show some sign of discomfort or annoyance when the stronger eye is covered, limiting vision. At this age a "fixation and following" test is also performed: the physician places a toy or image several inches from the baby's face and moves it in different directions in an effort to notice whether the baby is able to fixate on and follow the image.

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