An infant child does not require learning to see, but they still need healthy eyes to process the surrounding world. Before a child learns to reach for the things they want, before they begin to walk, seeing the world is a needed stimulation for their mind. It is a significant milestone.
The help of a pediatric optometrist in Toronto is essential at this stage to prevent developmental problems caused by eye and vision issues. Early detection and correcting of such problems enables the child to develop visual abilities that they will need throughout their lives.
So, let's take a look at the vision development stages of an infant, and how the parents can play an active role in them.
Infant Vision Development Stage Cycles
After birth, newborns' visual systems are likely still developing. Only after they are four months of age or older do they begin to process a tiny spectrum of the available visual information. Parents are advised not to worry if this timeline differs, as these milestones are different for each child at different ages.
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Newborn to Four Months
A baby looking at a high-contrast subject would likely not understand it, as they cannot yet tell apart two lights and two objects. What they can see and process are subjects eight to ten inches away.
It is not until several weeks after birth that the eyes work together to support hand-eye coordination and start tracking objects in sight. Up until eight weeks, most babies learn to focus on the faces of the people in their proximity.
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Five to Eight Months
At this age, babies develop better eye movements and eye-body coordination skills, with improvement in depth perception. After about five months of age, their eyes and brains begin to process the world in a three-dimensional view.
Color vision also develops around five months, which is helpful when they learn to crawl around eight months. At this stage, their eye-hand-foot coordination develops to promote the next developments.
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Eight to Twelve Months
Crawling among babies is linked to helping strengthen hand-eye coordination, so parents are advised not to rush the baby into early walking. It is also at this age when babies learn to gauge distances well and begin to throw things with precision.
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Twelve to Twenty-Four Months
At this age, babies develop well in depth perception and hand-eye coordination. They are also commonly interested in recognizing familiar faces, objects, and coloring.
Common Vision Problems in Infants
Certain symptoms in babies are indicators of underlying vision problems, and parents must not neglect them.
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Excessive Tearing - Blocked or inefficient tear ducts
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Red Eyelids - Sign of eye infection or discomfort
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Frequent Eye Turning - Suggestive of eye muscle control problem
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Extreme Light Sensitivity - Elevated pressure in the eyes
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White Pupil - May indicate eye cancer
How Can Parents Help In Visual Development
As a parent, when you notice any of the symptoms stated above, please immediately take the baby to a pediatric optometrist in Toronto. Typically, they may recommend the following activities at different age stages.
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Newborn to Four Months
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Use a dim night light or dull lamp in baby's room
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Change the crib position and of the child frequently
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Keep reach and touch toys in baby's focus (8 - 12 inches away)
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Talk to the baby while strolling around the room
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Five to Eight Months
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Hang objects in the crib within baby's reach to pull or kick
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Allow baby time to explore and crawl on the clean floor
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Provide plastic or wooden blocks to hold in hands
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Nine to Twelve Months
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Play hide and seek with baby using face or toys to help build visual memory
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Name objects when playing to boost baby's vocabulary & word association skills
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Encourage baby to crawl or creep
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Twelve to Twenty-Four Months
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Roll ball in front of baby to help develop eye & object tracking
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Offer building blocks to baby for developing fine motor skills & small muscle development
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Read or tell stories to help the child visualize for developing learning & reading skills next.