Sight is one of the most powerful senses for everyone, including babies and infants. Vision can be measured in infants at many stages of development.
Vision in Newborn Babies
After birth, the baby will open its eyes within minutes typically. At this age, the baby cannot focus or perceive vision as well as an adult.
Since the newborn’s vision is very reduced, the eyes may appear to wander aimlessly at times or even appear crossed.
Additionally, a newborn will not have strong eye muscles to control the eyes in many situations. Because of this, newborns may look like they have an eye turned inward but often grow out of this appearance.
Vision in Infants under Five Months
Infants begin developing their vision rapidly after birth. The first objects which the baby will focus and fixate are high contrast and near the face, normally within about ten inches.
As the infant vision stabilizes, the infant will focus consistently at a distance of about ten inches which coincides with the typical distance to a parent’s face when the infant is held.
By four months old, the infant has developed some muscle control of the eyes and can follow a target with some accuracy.
It is at this point that an infant will begin to see an object and coordinate a hand motion to reach for the target.
Vision in Infants Five to Nine Months
By five months, an infant will develop normal color vision after beginning with only black, white, and then red.
Also at five months, the infant will develop depth perception and the perception that some things are closer than others.
At six months old, the infant can see 20/20 when measured using a visually evoked potential to determine the best possible vision using bar patterns.
However, the six-month-old will not be able to discriminate individually shapes with as much ability.
The infant will begin to develop more full-body movements, such as crawling, which improve the visual motor skills that began around four months.
Crawling allows the infant to develop a connection between the eyes and the hands and feet.
Vision in Infants One Year Old
At the age of one, an infant should have developed a very robust visual system. This includes good depth perception, strong eye-hand coordination, and the ability to fixate and follow a target voluntarily.
Toddlers and Older
Toddlers begin to interact with their world in many ways and utilize their eyes and vision more as they age. The vision should be clear, and the eyes should move appropriately without extra thought at this age.
What if There is a Developmental Delay?
Like all developmental milestones, vision-based milestones are dependent on the individual infant and the progression of the visual system.
A slight delay may not be any concern for the future vision or development. However, if there is a significant delay it may cause additional issues with the eyes or the overall development of the child.
It is important for an infant to have a comprehensive eye exam, beyond a basic screening, by the age of one and another exam by the age of three.
If there is concern about a potential delay, having a comprehensive exam is the best option to detect any delay early and get needed treatment.
