Your Baby’s Soon after birth, your doctor will briefly examine your infant’s eyes to rule out signs of serious neonatal eye problems. After that, you’ll watch for milestones or markers that will indicate your baby’s vision is progressing normally. The first few years of a child’s life are critical in the development of good vision. Interestingly, it takes several months for your child’s vision to fully develop. Nerve cells in their retina and brain are not developed and they don’t have the ability to focus on nearby objects. Don’t be alarmed – it just takes time. During the first 4 months your baby sees a blurred world, yet he will begin to follow moving objects with the eyes and will reach out for things – this is the time that hand-eye coordination begins to develop. Early in this time (at one month) your baby’s eyes are not sensitive to light, so you can leave lights on in the nursery and this will not disturb their sleep. At 4 to 6 months, as the baby begins moving she will develop eye/body coordination skills and will begin playing patty-cake or other similar games. At 6 to 8 months both eyes should focus equally and your child will mimic others, explore, and notice more details. A child should have his or her first eye exam between 6 and 12 months. Optometrists can participate in the Infantsee program that provides free eye screenings to children 6-12 months old. Not surprisingly, an infant eye exam differs greatly from what the average person experiences (‘better 1 or better 2?’). By using different lights, lenses, shapes/ pictures, and techniques the doctor can determine if there are any vision issues present. After that first exam, if there are no concerns, it is recommended that your child have a yearly eye exam to track the growth and development of your child’s vision system. Doctors will check to make sure your child can see well, have proper eye movements, depth perception, and eye coordination. These make a difference when it comes to reading and learning. At 6 to 8 months your baby will use both eyes to judge distances, will grasp items (throw items) with greater
Vision Photo
precision. Don’t be concerned if your infant’s eyes are beginning to change color as most babies are born with blue eyes because darker pigments in the iris aren’t completely developed at birth. Over time, dark pigment is produced in the iris and your child’s eyes turn to brown, green, gray, or a mixture of colors. Watch for symptoms that may indicate a need for a professional – eye turning inward, outward, upward, or downward for long periods of time; favoring one eye over the other; bumping into objects on one side; red eyes or lids; excessive tearing; encrusted eyelids or frequent styes. A white or frosty pupil in photos can indicate a congenital cataract or other growth blocking the retina. In these cases, always call a professional to schedule an examination.
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