FREELANCE writer and entrepreneur Ms Daphne Lee, 33, knows the inconvenience of being short-sighted. Until her lasik operation six years ago, she had to wear glasses in primary school and contact lenses as a teenager.

Hence Ms Lee and her husband Martin Tan, 33, who is also short-sighted, make the effort to inculcate good habits in their two girls, Maegan, four, and Meredith, two.

The children watch their favourite Disney programmes for only half an hour each day and they sit at least 1m away from the television. They read and draw in good lighting conditions. Says Ms Lee: “Prevention is better than cure, and with their eyesight, I adopt the same approach.”

Paediatrician Dr Ong Eng Keow from the International Child & Adolescent Clinic at Mount Alvernia Hospital says that a child can watch up to two hours of television a day, but not at one sitting.

“Every half an hour, it is good to let them take a break and let their eyes rest from looking at the screen,” he explains, adding that the occasional long viewing time during school holidays is not harmful.

Still, Ms Lee is not taking any chances. She supervises the children’s television time and pulls them back when she sees them inching towards the tube.

She also makes sure that they have a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, which the children enjoy. Dr Ong advocates foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, fish (especially salmon), walnuts, flaxseed oil, scallops and whole grains as beneficial for eye development, as they contain DHA and AA.

At birth, a newborn is able to see the surroundings, gaze on a face or bright object, and blink at bright lights. From eight to 24 weeks, his visual ability increases and he can watch moving objects and people. At 48 weeks, he can respond to smiles and voices and look around the room.

Parents should bring their child to a paediatrician if they are not showing visual responses such as the ability to focus at the age of three months. Adds Dr Ong: “By three to four years old, a child should have their eyes checked for visual acuity. Prior to that, the doctors will generally check hand-eye coordination and the presence of eye squints.”

A child’s eye development and observation skills can be stimulated at four months through activities like playing with different textured and shaped objects, “peek-a-boo” games and using adequate and comfortable lighting in an infant’s room, says Dr Ong.

From the age of eight months to a year, encourage the baby to crawl for eye-hand-body coordination, and during playtime, provide him with colourful toys such as stuffed animals and objects that can be stacked or taken apart.

When a child is two or three years old, include physical activities such as walking and climbing. Teach him to draw and sort out different sizes, shapes and colours.

“There is no need for special developmental toys. Colourful everyday objects will do,” says Dr Ong.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times.