How to Determine if Your Baby Has Astigmatism

For everyone, maintaining healthy vision is extremely important, and extra attention must be paid to eye protection in daily life. However, due to children’s limited self-control, they often overuse their eyes. Without active parental supervision, this may compromise ocular health, impair vision, and even lead to astigmatism. So, how can parents recognize astigmatism in their baby?

How to Detect Astigmatism in Babies

It is essential to take your child to a hospital promptly for routine cycloplegic refraction testing. Generally, children under six years old commonly receive cycloplegia using atropine sulfate ophthalmic gel to dilate the pupils. For children aged six and older, rapid-acting cycloplegic agents may be used instead. Cycloplegia temporarily paralyzes the ciliary muscle, thereby revealing the eye’s true refractive power—allowing clinicians to accurately assess the actual refractive status, including the degree and axis of astigmatism. Additionally, corneal curvature measurement and corneal topography should be performed to determine the type of astigmatism. Currently, the prevalence of astigmatism is high, and its occurrence is often closely linked to congenital genetic factors.

In daily life, parents should encourage their children to develop healthy visual habits—such as avoiding prolonged reading, watching television, or playing electronic games—to minimize eye strain, which aids both in managing and preventing astigmatism. To correct astigmatism as quickly as possible, in addition to receiving appropriate medical treatment, wearing corrective eyeglasses is recommended. However, younger children may initially resist wearing glasses; therefore, parents should patiently persuade them to do so, ensuring timely visual rehabilitation.

Thus, it is crucial to help children cultivate proper posture while reading and writing—and strictly avoid reading or using mobile devices while lying in bed. We hope this information proves helpful to you.