Vision

brachysira

M is nearsighted.  We learned this because we were at the optometrist for some other weird eye things.  According to the doctor at her 8 month appt, she sees so poorly that when she walks she will walk into things and she will definitely get glasses when she is 1.  Then at the 12 month appt, she said, well, her vision is slightly better so we don't usually give glasses at 1 if their vision is at this level, but it's still very bad and she can't see well at all.  Not getting glasses was okay with me because I didn't want the battle over wearing them, the extra cost, and more trips to the doctor, who is far away.  But now I am like, if she really can barely see enough to not walk into things, that is really bad!  Won't it hurt her development?  Should we not bother with plays and the zoo?  I guess most 1 year-olds who can't see well do not even know it, and I do feel more comfortable waiting to correct her vision until she can communicate better, but I just don't know if waiting is going to hurt her.

brachysira

Thanks for the reply.  We saw a pediatric ophthalmologist and she spent a very long time holding up lenses, etc. so I feel confident in her assessment...although I do think that once communication is possible, it will be more accurate.  Now I am a little worried that if we put on glasses and she is screaming, will it be that she doesn't want something on her head, or that she can't see.

M did not have ROP.  She had/has some weird eye bumps and lesions that we have had to remove or watch, depending on where they are.  These are not related to her vision or probably even her prematurity, but once we were at the ped op we learned of her vision problems.

The doctor was pretty much like, at this age, we correct for over -5 and do not correct for under -5 and your baby is just under so we won't correct.  I asked, when will she get glasses, and she said, maybe never, which made me think that perhaps she thought her vision was still changing and that perhaps we should not correct to allow things to develop on their own.  However, that was at the beginning of the winter, and we've been inside playing with blocks and puzzles.  As I look ahead to summer, it just seems mean to take her to the park, the pool, and the zoo when she can't see further than a few feet ahead.  

Her development is okay for now, but I am worried that she will be too timid to run around if she can't see and that she may not be able to imitate and learn skills that require you to see things people do that are larger actions.  We go back in September, so I just need to decide if I should demand them for the summer or wait until the appt.