When will my baby's eyes be their final color? At birth, the colored part of your baby’s eyes (the iris) will be gray to blue. They may change as pigment is added in the first 6 months of life. At this point you should have a pretty good idea of what the final color will be. However, every once in a while we will see color changes even into the second year of life..

What's a blocked tear duct? A blocked tear duct (also known as nasolacrimal duct obstruction) occurs when the eye’s drainage duct is small or blocked with debris. This does not allow the tears to drain into the nose and you will see tear welling in your baby’s eyes. Most ducts open up by four months of age and 95 percent are open by one year.

How well can my newborn see? A newborn’s vision is about 20/400 at birth compared with what we know as perfect vision at 20/20. This improves over the first years of life until they are 20/20 to 20/30 at three or four years of age. In the first months of life, the best objects to look at are held at arm’s length, such as a baby staring into his mother’s face.

Why do my baby's eyes cross? An infant’s eyes can cross early in life because of poor eye muscle coordination and the inability to focus. Eyes are usually gazing straight by three months of age. If they are not, it may be an indication of a more serious problem. Even after three months, you may see your baby’s eyes cross when falling asleep or staring at something close to his or her face.

My newborn baby has blood in her eye. What happened? Due to the trauma of birth, superficial blood vessels in the outer covering of the eyeball may burst, forming a crescent of blood next to the eye’s iris. This is called a conjuctival hemorrhage it can happen in one or both eyes. Like a bruise these will disappear after a few weeks.

What is an iris? The iris is the colored part of the eye. It is actually a muscle that helps regulate the amount of light that enters the eye.

What is strabismus? Strabismus is a visual problem where the eyes are misaligned and point in different directions. This misalignment may be constantly present, or it may come and go. Sometimes, only one eye may be affected while the other eye is directed straight ahead.

Strabismus is a common condition among children. Normal alignment of both eyes during childhood allows the brain to fuse the two pictures into a single 3-dimensional image. If not fixed it can cause amblyopia or reduced vision.

What is amblyopia? Amblyopia, sometimes called a "lazy eye," occurs when one eye does not develop normal sight during early childhood. When one eye develops good vision but the other does not, the eye with decreased vision is called amblyopic. Usually, only one eye is affected by amblyopia.

This common condition should be corrected during infancy or early childhood to obtain 3-dimensional vision and prevent permanent vision loss.

What is a cornea? The cornea is the clear protective covering of the colored part of your eyeball (iris). The cornea is very sensitive.

What is the eye’s pupil? The pupil is the dark opening in the iris that determines how much light is let into the eye. It is actually clear, not black, but appears dark because there is no light reflecting back out of the eye.

What is the eye’s lens? The lens is the transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina. It’s just like a lens or a telescope or your glasses, only it lasts longer.

What is the purpose of your eye’s retina? The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light and creates impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain.

What is a corneal abrasion? A corneal abrasion is a cut or scratch on the cornea of your eye. The cornea is the clear protective covering of the colored part of your eyeball (iris). The cornea is very sensitive and is usually quite painful. If you think your child has a corneal abrasion, bring your child to the office. We will examine your child’s eye for any damage or debris that may be trapped under your eyelid. We may put an orange dye into the eye to help us see the abrasion. Most small abrasions heal in one to three days. We may need to examine your child’s eye the next day.

What is a hordeolum? A hordeolum is also known as a “stye.” A stye is a small lump that appears inside or under a child’s eyelid. They result from the clogging of the oil glands in the eyelids flowed by infection by bacteria. They hurt but are harmless. Styes can cause redness, pain, tenderness, eye watering and sensitivity to light. They usually resolve with warm packing.

What is a stye? A stye is a small lump that appears inside or under a child’s eyelid. They result from the clogging of the oil glands in the eyelids. They hurt but are harmless. Styes can cause redness, pain, tenderness, eye watering and sensitivity to light. They usually resolve with warm packing.

What is a chalazion? A chalazion is a small cyst that develops inside or on the eyelids as a result of the blockage of a certain oil-producing gland called a meibomian gland. This oil makes up the outer layer of our tears. A chalazion is usually painless. In most cases, they disappear in a few months.

What is a hyphema? A hyphema is when blood collects in the anterior chamber of the eye. The anterior chamber lies below the lens (cornea) of the eye and just before he colored part of the eye (iris). It is usually caused by injury. It is always important to have your eyes checked if a hyphema is noted because if could indicate additional eye injuries.

What is nystagmus? Nystagmus is an involuntary movement of the eye. It can occur in a vertical or horizontal direction.

What is ptosis? Ptosis is drooping eyelids. The upper eyelid falls into a position that is lower than normal. It can be present at birth or develop later in life. It usually does not affect vision unless the droopy lid covers an eye’s pupil. It is usually cased by a weakness in the eyelid muscle or problem with the lid nerve.