Instead, children try to compensate by sitting closer to the TV, or holding books or other reading materials closer or further away. In many cases, experts said, these children are too young to know that there's a problem. "The thing about kids is their brains are still developing, and learning how to (operate) their eyes," said Dr. Steven Thornquist, a pediatric ophthalmologist in Trumbull.

August is Children's Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month, and, with the start of school right around the corner, vision experts across the region said it's never too early to make sure your child's eyes are in good working order. According to the American Optometric Association, about a quarter of school-age children have vision problems, and only one-third of all children have had an eye exam or vision screening before entering school.

Vision problems among children include amblyopia (also known as "lazy eye"), and strabismus, or a misalignment of the eyes. Other common problems are refractive errors, meaning that the eye doesn't bend light properly, which makes images appear blurred. Refractive errors can cause lazy eye, as well as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Children can even have conditions more commonly associated with adults, such as cataracts or glaucoma.

Many vision problems can be spotted and treated early. But, because kids often don't know or don't say whether their eyes are bothering them, it's important for parents to take an active role, said Dr. Martin Lederman, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Stamford Hospital. "What parents need to do is have their children checked for vision problems," he said.

Most doctors agree that newborns should be checked for general eye health by the family physician or pediatrician while they're still in the hospital nursery. Unless your child is at high-risk for vision problems, due to family history, prematurity or another reason, pediatricians can handle eye screenings over the first few years of life. By age three or three and a half, children need to have eye health screenings and vision acuity tests -- which measure sharpness of vision.

Though pediatrician-conducted vision screenings are mostly sufficient for younger kids, if a child shows any symptoms of vision problems, he or she should go to an eye doctor. Symptoms include constant eye rubbing, light sensitivity, squinting and being unable to see objects at a distance. "The earlier you catch a problem, the better off you are," Thornquist said.

In addition to getting their children's eyes checked, doctors cautioned that parents also need to protect their kids' peepers from such potential dangers as the sun, viral infections and sports injuries. One particular risk to children is the eye infection conjunctivitis, more commonly called "pinkeye."

Though it can occur at any age, DeBroff said children are particularly susceptible. "Kids are often rubbing their eyes and they're exposed to a lot of other kids" which can spread infection.

Last year in Fairfield County, there was a "huge epidemic of pinkeye," said Dr. Robert Noecker, an ophthalmologist with offices in Fairfield, Stamford and Meriden. Though the infection is treatable, it can lead to permanent scarring if it's not quickly taken care of.

"It seems like a really benign thing that's out there, but it is a viral infection," he said.

Sports injuries are also a particular concern in Fairfield County, Noecker said. "Kids around here are very active and participate in a lot of sports," he said.

He and other doctors advised protective glasses for young athletes. The American Optometric Association specifically recommends glasses made of polycarbonate, a tough, shatterproof plastic.

Another possible risk to young eyes is too much screen time. According to a survey from the AOA, 83 percent of children between 10 and 17 polled estimated that they spent three or more hours a day on an electronic device. This can cause eye strain in some children, said Melissa Lambright, an optometrist with SIGHT Eye Health in West Hartford. To give the eyes a break, she recommends something she calls the 20-20-20 method. "Every 20 minute, take a 20-second break doing something 20 feet away from the screen," Lambright said.

She echoed other doctors' thoughts that protecting children's eyes is essential, particularly during the school year. "About 80 percent of learning comes from vision," Lambright said.