When Should Infants Have Their First Vision Examination?
The Answer: Starting at 6 Months Of Age!
Infant development is not linear, but cyclic
Children move forward and backward while reorganizing and achieving higher developmental levels. A child rehearses this growth process throughout life. Infants are born with poor color vision and should develop it by the age of six months.
Infant’s eyes are generally observed as straight after birth. If you observe an eye turn after 3 months, it is important to have this evaluated as soon as possible. The cause, which is frequently motor or sensory, can be a manifestation of an underlying disease process. Early identification and treatment of such conditions may prevent permanent vision loss.
Infants can only see about 20/400 after birth, but can see 20/40 by the age of one. An awareness of self (orientation) must develop before objects can accurately be found (localization) in their world.
Infants and toddlers are usually farsighted. Interferences in a child’s motor development can influence development of visual skills and the process of becoming less farsighted.
Infants learn to see their world through a process in which they look, touch and explore. Simple household items like pots and pans are a gold mine for exploration and learning.
Vision problems are one of the leading causes of handicapping conditions in children, most of which can be detected, prevented or treated during the infant years.
Infant Vision Milestones
Your infant should be able to:
- Momentarily follow an object with eyes or head by 5 weeks.
- Bring both hands together by 8 weeks.
- Hold and sustain direct eye contact with you by 3 months.
- Turn both eyes together and locate near objects by 4 months.
- Make the sounds p, b, t, d, and m by 5 months.
- Rollover independently by 7 months.
- Sit without support by 8 months.
- Creep and crawl by 9 months.
What a Comprehensive Infant Visual Evaluation Includes
- Developmental Patient History
- Visual Acuity Assessment
- Refractive Analysis (farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism)
- Visual-Motor Development
– Eye Movements
– Eye Focusing
– Eye Teaming
– Eye-Hand Integration - Assessment of Eye Health
We are proud to offer InfantSEE®! As a participating optometric practice of the American Optometric Association’s program, we offer a FREE comprehensive eye exam for infants between six months and one year of age, no matter your insurance or family income!
Call us for more information or to make an appointment.
For Further Information on Infant Visual Development:
- BOOKS-available at libraries and bookstores
- Amazing Babies ~ Beverly Stokes ~ Move Alive Media
- Right From Birth: Building Your Child’s Foundation for Life ~ Craig and Sharon Ramey ~ Goddard Press
- 125 Brain Games for Babies ~ Jackie Silberg ~ Consortium Book Sales
- Enhance Your Infant’s Development ~ Etta Rowley ~ Optometric Extension Program
- Games to Play with Babies ~ Jackie Silberg ~ Gryphon House
- The Out of Sync Child ~ Carolyn Stock-Kranowitz ~ Perigee
- Smart Moves ~ Carla Hannaford ~ Great Ocean Publications