When your little one finally trots off to school, we know that 80 percent of his learning will come visually. That won't be the case, however, on the day you bring him home from the hospital. Just as your infant will have to learn to use his arms and legs, he'll have to learn to use his eyes. The process takes months, and sometimes a little knowledge about the process can greatly help soothe a parent's occasional concerns.
Prenatal Development
The roots of healthy vision begin well before birth. Unlike most of his organs, a newborn's eyes are almost 65 percent of their future adult size on the day he is born. A strong correlation exists between low birth weights and increased vision problems in infants. This is one of the many reasons to closely follow your doctor's recommendations on nutrition, rest, medications and smoking.
First Weeks at Home
Your baby's first visual images will be very blurry and largely in shades of gray. The nerve cells of the retina and brain are still developing. Newborns also lacks the ability to change focus from near to far objects. Their focus is locked in at about 8 to 12 inches, which just so happens to be the distance from Mom's shoulder to her face. How blurry is their vision? They can't make out Mom's features, but they recognize the outline and proportions of her head.
Tip: Since your newborn recognizes the silhouette of your face, if you want her to recognize you, don't do anything to change that silhouette. Keep your hair style consistent and if you put on a big floppy, hat be prepared to be treated like a stranger.
One Month
Acuity is improving and baby is starting to experience color vision. Reds, oranges, yellows and greens will come first. Recognition of colors with shorter wavelengths, like blue and violet, will take longer to develop. You may note that her eyes may occasionally cross, or turn slightly. This is not unusual, and as long as it is not consistent, you shouldn't worry.
Tip: At this age, babies' eyes are very tolerant of light. They are about 50 times less sensitive to light than adults. That means a night light in their room won't disturb them and if they find themselves awake in their crib at night, at least they can look around a bit.
Months 2 and 3
Acuity continues to sharpen and baby's eyes are beginning to work together as a team. This brings a big improvement in depth perception, which you will recognize in his ability to reach out and touch things. During this time his eyes are becoming more sensitive to light, so it's time to ease back on the lights at nap and bedtime.
Tip: To help with your baby's visual development, shake up his world a bit. Move his crib, add new items to his environment, and if he's usually on his back, put him on his belly to play. The variety enriches his visual experience.
Months 4 to 6
By six months, many infants are nearing what we consider normal adult acuity and color vision. Her improving eye-hand coordination shows, as you marvel at how quickly she can get a toy from her hand to her mouth . Now it's time for baby's first eye examination. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends an eye exam at 6 months. The eye doctor can do nonverbal checks for near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism and eye alignment.
Tip: If you'd like to have your baby's eyes examined, but can't afford it, check into the AOA's InfantSee program.
Months 7 to 12
Baby's eyes are now almost fully developed and he's learning how to put his new vision to use. He's crawling and exploring. At this age, a baby's eyes will often start to darken. Newborns' eyes are typically blue. Pigments build up in the baby's iris and many blue eyes morph to brown, green and gray.
Tip: To stimulate eye-hand coordination, encourage him to crawl to get his toys. The interaction between eyes, arms and legs is very healthy. Surprisingly, encouraging kids to walk early may actually hurt the development of their eye-hand skills.
Signs of Vision Problems in Infants
The AOA gives the following list of warning signs that parents should be aware of. Any of these symptoms should be discussed as soon as possible with your pediatrician or eye doctor.
- Excessive tearing may signal blocked tear ducts.
- Red or crusty eye lids are a possible sign of infection.
- Constant eye turning or crossing can indicate poor muscle control.
- Extreme sensitivity to light could signal high pressures in the eye.
- White pupils may be a sign of a serious condition, such as cancer.
