Some childhood health problems can be easily overlooked. Here are five of the most commonly overlooked problems, and what you need to do to help your doctor find the problem. 1. Strabismus What is strabismus? One eye may appear to be “wandering”. The eye muscles on one side may be weaker than the other, which may result in a disconnection between the two eyes or (and) with the relevant focusing part of the brain. If the strabismus is not treated (eye patch for the stronger eye to allow the weaker eye to practice, surgery, glasses, or a combination of treatments), it can lead to amblyopia, where the weaker eye is almost completely unusable. The child’s eye may look normal on examination, so the doctor may not notice a problem. A newborn baby’s eyes may develop out of sync, but by the time the baby is 3 to 6 months old, the eyes should be working in sync most of the time. Check your child’s eyes weekly with a flashlight: Parents hold the flashlight 15-30 cm away from the child and check to see if the spot of light is in the same place in each eye. If not, have the doctor examine it more thoroughly. 2. Ear infection What is an ear infection? An ear infection is an infection of the middle ear that occurs because of a buildup of fluid in the ear that creates a breeding ground for bacteria. At least 70% of infections occur before a cold or flu. Children are especially sensitive to ear infections because their eustachian tubes (i.e., the passageways that drain fluid) are very narrow. Some of the symptoms are the same as those of the common cold, such as nasal congestion, mild fever and allergies. Children will often pull or rub their ears if they are sore, but they may not be sore. Mothers often say they can tell if their child’s ear is being infected when they have a cold, such as when sometimes the child won’t lie down (pressure caused by fluid in the middle ear makes the ear hurt when the child lies flat or swallows). Also, moms usually go to the doctor when they are not sure if their child has something more serious than a cold. If you are sure there is, say so right away. 3. What is developmental delay? Developmental delay is any noticeable delay in your baby’s physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional or social development by the time he or she is 5 or 6 months old. This is because many mothers cannot distinguish whether it is normal for their baby to learn to walk late or to learn to talk late. In addition, doctors only examine your child for about 15 minutes every few months; it is difficult to make a judgment with such a short observation time. And for developmental testing to be accurate, children need to be in a calm and relaxed state. Of course, children may feel tired, emotionally unstable, fearful or not in the mood for a thorough examination during the examination. Try to objectively observe your child’s growth process by recording it in an infant record book or health record book. Record your child’s status until she is 3 to 6 months old as you organize the entries; if she is growing steadily, then you have nothing to worry about. If you notice a stagnation in your child’s growth process, consult your pediatrician.