None of us is born with a developed vision.
It takes some time for the right development of our eyes to complete growing, and also, it takes time to learn how to use them. As parents, it is important to understand how eyesight develops so that we can encourage wholesome vision in our kids and recognize problems if they arise.
Healthy Vision Development Timeline
For infants, everything is mostly a grayish blur. Within the first six months, colors and details appear, but they still need to learn to concentrate their eyes, follow things, develop depth understanding, use their own eyes as a group, and emotionally process what they’re seeing. By age one, they ought to begin learning hand-eye coordination and understand object permanence. Most children are somewhat farsighted until their early school years, by which point their eyesight reaches its entire development.
Indications Of Vision Issues
If your kid takes somewhat longer to accomplish the distinct developmental measures, it isn’t automatically a sign that something’s wrong. Everybody moves at their speed. But, there are a couple of things to watch out for:
- White or grayish-white color in the pupil
- Complaints of eye pain or itchiness
- Eyes that quickly flutter side-to-side or up and down
- Misaligned or crossed eyes
- The redness that persists longer than a few days
- Pus or crust in one or both eyes
- Continual watery eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Drooping lids
For children preschool and elementary age, difficulty with reading or focusing on extra-curricular activities for longer periods could signal an undiagnosed vision problem, so be certain that you schedule them a detailed eye exam. Do not just depend on the big E chart in the school nurse’s office, since there are lots of common vision issues it can not detect!
Help Your Child Learn Vision Skills
In addition to watching for symptoms of eye issues, as parents, we could also help our kids to master visual skills and promote good eye growth. For the first six months, it is possible to play peek-a-boo, move objects facing them, and fill their environment with bright colors.
At the next six months, it is possible to promote hand-eye coordination with lots of colorful objects for them to grab and play with, and when your baby becomes bored of peek-a-boo, proceed to play hide-and-seek with their toys.
After their first birthday, then they’ll love balls for further hand-eye coordination training, as well as equilibrium and comprehension. By age 2, they’ll be ready for their artistic debut with crayons and will delight in stacking blocks.
Your Optometrist Can Answer Questions About Your Child’s Vision
Providing the right toys to help with vision development and staying alert for indicators of problems are two excellent things you can do as a parent, however, don’t forget your optometrist is your best resource for ensuring a lifetime of healthy vision on your kid! If you have some questions regarding your child’s vision development, just give your regional optometrist a telephone.
Thanks for being a part of the Healing The Eye family!