It's all in the eyes

We fly to Germany regularly to have our daughter checked by a paediatrician. This is equivalent to American well-baby visits. In Scotland, these regular checks have been abolished; the last is at six weeks of age. German checks are very comprehensive. They look at language, social skills, motor development, posture, etc. Part of those checks is an eye test. In Britain, there's only one routine eye test, but that takes place at around school age. German opthalmologists argue that most of the vision areas of the brain are shaped and trained during the first 24 months of life. This is why the tests are done so early.

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