My Child Has Nystagmus, Now What?

First know your child can live a full and happy life. I remember the fear and pain when I learned that my oldest son had nystagmus at the age of 4 months. No one in our extended family had the condition. The stories I read on the internet were all very depressing. I wish I could go back and tell myself not to worry; it would be OK. I have four children, my oldest and youngest children have infantile or congenital nystagmus. My third child developed acquired nystagmus temporarily as a result of a concussion. (This handout is focused on congenital or infantile nystagmus) My oldest son is a computer engineer for an internet startup company. He was active in sports and played ultimate frisbee in college. His vision was 20/200 when he was in grade school. Today his vision is 20/50 to 20/70. My youngest son has a B.S. in biomolecular engineering. He is a Ph.D. student at U. Penn. He was also active in sports. His vision in grade school was 20/90 and today it is 20/30 or 20/40. There are good stories of very successful people with nystagmus.