My 10-month-old daughter just will not keep her sunglasses on.

That’s not surprising — given that she’s 10 months old — but all the same I’d really like to protect her vision when we go for walks on hot summer days and the sun is beating down on us.

Since I’m worried about this, I figured there are probably a few other things I should know about protecting my daughter’s sight. So I reached out to Dr. N. Marie Koederitz, who recently opened a practice in Lawrence specializing in kids’ vision health, called Sunflower Pediatric Eye Care & Strabismus, or SPECS.

Here are a few tips she gave me:

1. Get your kid’s eyes checked at least once if your family has a history of vision issues, such as eyes crossing or poor vision on one side. The complete exam should be performed when the child is a year old.

2. If you notice your child’s eyes crossing or drifting, this could be a sign of strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes. “Some kids just need glasses and that straightens their eyes, and some need other services or treatments,” Koederitz said.

3. Get a photo screening of your kiddo’s eyes once a year through a pediatrician or preschool screening program.
“At least until they’re old enough to do a visual acuity test and identity pictures, letters and numbers,” she said. “That way you can catch eye conditions early and treat them early, and prevent blindness or vision issues when they’re older.”

4. If you see your little one squinting when trying to look at a faraway object, he may be nearsighted and need glasses.

5. Encourage your youngster to play outside and get away from TV and computer screens.
“There are some studies which show that kids who have more outside play time have less risk of needing glasses. They may be less nearsighted later on,” she said.

6. If your infant has chronic tearing or a recurring eye infection, it may be the result of a clogged tear duct.

7. Protect your kid’s eyes from the sun.
“This limits UV light exposure, which may, as they grow older, contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration,” Koederitz noted.

8. Feed your child lots of fruits and vegetables, which are good for vision health.

9. Make sure your little one wears eye protection while playing sports.
“I think every kid should be wearing protective eyewear, but I know as a mom it’s hard to make them do it,” she said. “For my three boys, baseball is the only sport I can get them to wear eyewear consistently.”

As for my baby and her disdain for those cute, pink sunglasses her mother and I bought her, the doctor said to be persistent. “I think a lot of it is just consistency: to try every time they go out,” she asserted. Or Koederitz recommended some alternative sun-protection devices, like Baby Banz sunglasses that wrap around infants’ heads, stroller covers, or hats (which my daughter also seems to have trouble keeping on). I’ve since started walking Lily in her other, cheaper stroller — an umbrella model — that has an adjustable canopy I can put in front of her eyes when she’s facing the sun.

If you have concerns about your child’s eye health, contact SPECS, 346 Maine St., Suite 400, at 856-7732.

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