June is Infant/Child Vision Awareness Month. Surprisingly, many parents don’t know that it’s recommended baby has his or her vision checked at six months of age. Thanks to a new public health program, all parents regardless of income level or insurance coverage can get baby to that first comprehensive vision checkup – for free!
What can parents do prior to that first eye exam? Of course spend tons of undivided face time with baby. Plus, thanks to the newest baby books out there, they can encourage visual growth and curiosity in the form of eye games.
Ever since the first publication, pediatrician-approved EYE GAMES FOR BABY and its counterpart book and wall art are giving moms reassurance during baby’s first months of life when vision is still developing. Baby of Mind is the mastermind behind these popular, lightweight, baby-friendly accordion-fold books. Not your average “picture books” nor are they categorized as hard “board” books. They fit into a new, much anticipated category of their own making. The visuals lining their pages were designed with baby in mind and as a result little ones take notice. Each “eye game” was created by a contemporary artist and reviewed by an infant vision specialist, an early childhood development expert and a band of babies.
The visual-minded mommy who started this company did so after scouring bookstores for an image book for her soon-to-arrive firstborn… only to realize that the type of book she was looking for simply didn’t exist. She soon discovered that other moms were equally discouraged with baby books claiming to be suitable for kids 0-3 years – a broad age range that fails to delight very young infants. This determined mommy then devoted herself to making available videos and images targeted specifically towards infants 0-6 months.
Baby of Mind is doing its part this month by releasing several free animated movie clips created just for babies. With each movie comes a reminder to have baby’s vision checked, as in some cases early detection is key. Those interested in helping out are asked to remind expectant mothers and new moms what Vision Awareness Month is all about, and to promote babies’ visual development by providing stimulating images during those first four months of life. Images with high contrasts and contours, and which allow baby to discover details and colors as vision develops and grows, are invaluable.
