No one is born with fully developed vision; we learn to see over a period of time, the same way we learn to speak or walk. The following is a timeline of some key vision development milestones so you know what to expect throughout your child’s development. Remember that each infant is unique and they might reach certain milestones at different ages.
Birth-3 Months
At birth, an infant’s vision is overwhelmed with visual stimulation. As early as the first week, a baby begins to respond to movement and begins to focus on their parent’s faces. At this stage, babies can only see in white, gray, and black, focusing about eight to twelve inches from their face, as their primary focus is on their parents. Here are some more milestones you might notice in your growing baby:
- Stares at light or face
- Blinks in response to bright light
- Begins to follow or track moving objects
4-6 Months
At 4-6 months, your baby will begin to move his or her eyes with accuracy and speed. Color vision will be fully developed at this point and the eyes can follow movement with relative ease. At this age, your baby might also:
- Reach for objects
- Turn their head to look at objects
- Stare at themselves in a mirror
- See images and objects from a few feet away
- Recognize objects like a bottle or pacifier
At six months, you should take your baby for his or her first comprehensive eye exam to ensure that the eyes are developing at a healthy rate without signs of complications or disease.
7-12 Months
At seven months your child is much more mobile, crawling around, better at judging distances, grasping, and throwing objects. This is an important developmental period for your child as they are developing a better awareness of their body and control over their eye-hand coordination. At this age they can also:
- Play peek-a-boo
- See smaller objects
- Track fast-moving objects
- Develop independent eye movements and depth perception
The First Eye Exam
At six months, your infant will not be able to read an eye chart, but an optometrist can perform an infant eye exam through non-verbal testing (nearsighted, farsighted, and astigmatism). The optometrist will also be able to see inside the eye for any signs of problems or disease that could affect their vision health.
Schedule an Infant Exam with Complete Eye Care
At Complete Eye Care of Medina, we value your family’s health and, together, we can treat your family’s vision problems. Let’s work together and find ways to keep your baby’s vision healthy. Schedule an appointment by calling us today at 763-225-3859 or visiting us online at completeeyecareofmedina.com.