Jeepers, creepers, are you keeping an eye on those peepers? Making sure your kids have healthy eyes is extremely important. That means you need to take action now… and not wait until eye issues arise. Newborn babies should be examined to make sure eyes are functioning properly. After one year, babies should be screened during their annual check-up. By age four, toddlers should have received an eye screening and visual acuity test.At age five, your child should be given a vision and eye alignment evaluation. If your child ever complains about having trouble seeing or frequent headaches, you should consult with a physician to make sure they don’t need glasses. If you notice your child squinting often, that may also be a red flag for eye impairment. For children who have glasses or contacts, they should be tested every year in case there are any changes in vision. Other warning signs of trouble include: frequent eye rubbing, light sensitivity, difficult focusing, eye redness and frequent tearing.

Although you might not be able to prevent your child from needing glasses, there are definitely measures that can be taken to prevent eye injury. When your child is walking with a sharp object, always encourage him to face the pointed side down. Avoid playing with slingshots, BB guns, broken toys or any other flying objects that can poke out an eye. Do not ever allow your child to play with fireworks if an adult is not present.In most cases, children should not be handling these hazardous elements in general. Keep harmful chemicals out of your children’s reach. With sports such as ice hockey, tennis, baseball, basketball or squash, it’s recommended that your child wear safety glasses. When your child is playing outside, make sure he or she is wearing sunglasses to prevent any damage that might be done from harmful UV rays.