We know that, as soon as they are born, babies hardly see, and for this reason, the other senses are on alert: hearing, taste and touch become the main access to the world. But slowly, the baby’s sight develops until it transforms into that of a baby who clearly recognizes shapes and colors. Let’s see the stages of this journey together.
How the newborn sees?
In the first weeks, the newborn does not see like everyone else (net of refractive defects!): Initially, in fact, newborn babies cannot distinguish the contours. They see rather blurry and only at a close distance. Even colors don’t exist: for them, it’s all black or white! You can read: Best wooden walker
The stages of the view month by month
Between birth and four months, the baby sees blurry and can only see people and objects that are about 10 cm away. Only around three months do they begin to develop hand-eye coordination, which is essential for taking things. It is only starting from the fifth month that this ability is strengthened, making the grip safer, thanks also to the concept of depth that becomes clearer: within eight months, the little ones realize how far an object or a person is.
It is always between five and eight months that babies begin to perceive the differences in color. They come to recognize the entire chromatic scale. And it has been a year since the sight was considered completely acquired.
Helping children’s eyesight
Many parents fear that their children may develop refractive defects: this may be true if there are family predispositions to myopia, but some studies confirm a decline in children’s vision due to several factors, including less time spent outdoors and therefore in natural light.
To help develop vision, both the mother during pregnancy and the baby after weaning should consume in particular:
Fish
Green leafy vegetables
Egg
Almonds
Citrus fruits
Check children’s eyesight.
In addition to trying to help eyesight with a proper diet, the situation must be kept under control, especially in some cases.
For example, if your child has symptoms such as swollen, red, watery eyes, if he has bleary eyelids, seem cross-eyed, and often scratches his eyes, it is good to talk to the ophthalmologist to verify the cause. It could be a passing problem or something that needs to be investigated.
Eye examinations for children
Likewise, it is important to have your vision checked periodically, once within 2 years and then before the start of primary school, when it is good to have a clear picture of the situation (for example, if you suffer from refractive defects, such as myopia, which could impair learning).
Among the most common signs that a child can show in case of vision problems are the fact of bringing objects closer to the face (especially books), the fact that he needs to sit very close to the TV if, by chance, he squints. To focus, if you have frequent headaches or if you rub your eyes often.
Children’s health also passes through the eyes: it is essential to see each other well from birth in order to grow, starting from the moment in which objects are recognized and grasped, then arriving at a phase as delicate as that of entering school.
Sight is of fundamental importance for children considering that 80% of childhood learning takes place through the eyes.
Protecting the eyes and preventing any visual problems is therefore important from an early age and assumes primary importance in school age when correct visual performance is essential for looking at the blackboard, doing the exercises and following the teachers during lessons. Neglected visual defects can, in fact, negatively influence school performance by creating psychological discomfort in the child, which can also lead to negative and violent behaviors.
To raise awareness among the adult public on the need to control and protect children’s eyesight from the earliest years of life, Transitions Optical – an international leader in intelligent clear lenses that vary the hue with the intensity of light – has been promoting campaigns and initiatives for years. Recently, together with nine experts, has prepared a vademecum to help parents take care of their children’s vision:
- Make the first specialist eye examination between 12 and 18 months to rule out defects and faults
- If in the family there are parents who wear eyeglasses, always provide for a vision check in children at 3 years of age
- In the growing phase, children who wear corrective glasses have a check-up every 6 months
- Protect children’s eyes from UV rays with sunglasses when they are outdoors in any season
- For children who wear eyeglasses, use glasses with variable tint lenses to protect from UV rays
- Have TV watched at a minimum distance of 1.5 to 3 meters. Your first eye examination.
Children spend a large part of the day outdoors, in the sunlight and perhaps not everyone knows that UV rays represent the first cause of possible damage to sight and can cause, over time, irreversible problems and damage, such as cataracts or macular degeneration. Especially for children, considering that their eyes are not yet fully developed and therefore are up to six times more vulnerable to the effects of UV rays than adults.
