An unborn baby can distinguish between light and dark, but he sees nothing else. After birth, vision is also limited. Vision is blurred and colors are barely perceived. Strong contrasts and large, slow-moving objects attract attention. After a few months, a baby can see details and distinguish colors. He recognizes the people around him and finds all new things, especially moving people and objects, interesting. After a year, the baby sees as much as an adult.
The vision of an unborn baby
Already in the womb, a baby can distinguish between light and dark. There is nothing else to see, so vision cannot develop. That only happens after birth.
What does a newborn baby see?
A newborn baby’s vision is still very limited. The baby sees everything blurred and without details. He can distinguish between light and dark, with the light from a lamp, for example, attracting his attention. The baby sees contrasts such as black and white and he also finds the face interesting, because of the contrast between the eyes and the skin. He recognizes his mother by her voice and smell. Only after a few months can he see her properly. People and objects are visible at a distance of 20 cm. That is the distance you have with a baby when you hold him. In the first few weeks a baby cannot distinguish colors. Newborn babies often look cross-eyed as long as they cannot see clearly. They do not yet have control of the eye muscles. Do you want to get a baby’s attention? Then choose large round objects and toys with a simple pattern that move slowly.
2 – 4 months, the baby makes eye contact and sees primary colors
Slowly but surely the baby’s eyesight is improving. He makes eye contact and can follow slow-moving objects. He can now also see objects and people at a greater distance, although the image is not yet as sharp. He follows them by turning his head in that direction. A baby cannot focus his attention on one thing for very long and soon turns his head away again. The collaboration with his hands is getting better and better. The baby can now also grasp things that are perceived.
Colors and details
In this phase the primary colors become clear. From about six weeks of age, a baby sees the color red followed by the colors green, yellow and blue. A newborn baby does not yet see depth, everything is flat, but from three months the flat image changes into 3D and details are also perceived. Eye coordination improves from three months onwards, the eyes can now look at one point. The squint reduces and virtually disappears after six months.
6 – 12 months, the baby can judge distances and situations and avoid them
After six months, a baby can also see smaller, moving objects, judge distances better and follow objects and people around him. The first months he only saw the primary colors, but now he can also perceive softer shades. All new things are interesting and keep his attention. During this period the baby starts to see depth, he starts to crawl and learns to assess and avoid situations. After one year, the baby sees as much as an adult.
When is a visit to an ophthalmologist necessary?
Vision development continues until about seven years of age. Vision problems such as a lazy eye may still occur until then. If you have vision problems, it is wise to visit an ophthalmologist.
Make an appointment with the ophthalmologist if:
- The child continues to look cross-eyed after the first few months.
- The baby’s eyes twitch or move back and forth.
- The pupils have a different shape.
- The pupil is white or has white dots on it.
What is a lazy eye and how should you treat it?
Lazy eye (amblyopia) occurs in children from three months to about eight years of age, when the eyes are still developing. Usually one of the two eyes is delayed in development, but it can also occur in both eyes. There are no abnormalities in the lazy eye, the brain switches off the eye. This makes visibility limited. A lazy eye is often difficult to diagnose because children do not notice that they see less with one eye. It must be treated to prevent visual impairment later in life.
The consultation office
A child’s eyes are examined at the clinic. Some babies are more likely to have lazy eye.
This is the case when:
- Squinting runs in the family.
- Family members have strong glasses.
- A lazy eye runs in the family.
The treatment
The treatment of a lazy eye generally consists of masking off the good eye. This causes the brain to use the lazy eye again and vision improves. Early diagnosis and treatment increases the chance of a good outcome. After childhood (11 years), treatment is no longer useful. If there is an abnormality in visual acuity, the doctor will prescribe glasses.
