The greatest feeling one can get in their lives is when their child is born and opens their eyes into this world for the first time. The moment they make an eye contact with you is precious and worth cherishing. However, if that does not happen instantly, don’t panic.
The development of a newborn’s visual system takes time. During their first week after birth, they hardly ever see anything, especially the details. Their first view is generally grey and not distinctive. It takes a few months for your child to develop their vision completely. Having knowledge about your child’s vision development can enable your child to enjoy the sight of this world to the fullest and help them see properly as well.
• Light adjustment (First Month)
A newborn child is very sensitive when it comes to bright light. You may also see that their pupils are very small, which limits the amount of light that enters their eyes. Despite being able to see what is on their sides, they cannot see anything through their central vision because it is still developing. Their retinas start developing after a few weeks. Their pupils widen, enabling them to see both the dark and the light patterns. They may start getting attracted towards colors and shapes.
• Moving objects (2-4 months)
Every baby’s eyes might not work very welling till the second month. You may notice that they either wander to both sides or appear crossed. Although this is normal and they correct themselves with time. But, if their eyes are turned outwards or towards the nose, consult their pediatrician. At the age of three months, they should be able to track objects and focus on them as well.
• Recognition (5-8 months)
When the baby turns five months old, they have the ability to see objects that are far away because their perception of depth has developed completely. Their color vision also improves at this stage. Moreover, at the age of eight months, they start crawling, which makes their hand and eye coordination better.
• Holding and on the move (9 to 12 months)
At the age of nine months, babies have the ability to judge distances and by twelve they start crawling and walking. Nevertheless, at nine months you will see the final color of their eyes and minor changes may not be evident to the naked eye.