Your Baby's Developing Eyes
Prenatal care: A bright start
When you are expecting, proper prenatal care and nutrition are very
important to the development of healthy eyes and the related nervous
system. Researchers are continually discovering more about the link
between nutrition and eyesight.
At birth: Opening to a new world
It might take a moment or two for your baby’s eyes to open.
His eyes should be examined for signs of congenital eye problems.
These are rare, but early diagnosis and treatment are important
to your child’s development. Health professionals typically
administer an antibiotic ointment, such as erythromycin, to prevent
infection. Within a short period of time, he will begin to focus
on objects less than a foot away, such as mom’s face when
nursing.
The latest research shows that complex shapes and high contrast
targets best stimulate the interest of infants. When setting up
baby’s room, include décor that is bright, contrasting
and varied. Babies’ eyes are drawn to new objects, so be prepared
to change the location of items. Also have a nightlight, to provide
visual stimulation when the baby is awake in bed. While children
should be put down to sleep on their backs to reduce the chance
of SIDS, they should have supervised time on their stomach. This
provides important visual and motor experiences.
Two months: Learning to look
For the first six to eight weeks of life, it is normal for a child’s
 eyes to not always track together. This should not be a concern
unless the child’s eyes are never aligned or their alignment
does not gradually improve. Tears are normal for many children because
the tear drainage ducts may not have fully opened. They usually
open on their own, but the doctor should be informed and he or she
will suggest what to do to stimulate the opening of the ducts if
it continues or seems excessive.
Activity: Stimulating both sides of the body by moving a child’s
arms or legs simultaneously, as parents tend to do naturally, is helpful
in fostering appropriate bilateral and binocular development.
Four months: Eyes, brains, hands
During the first four months of life, your baby should begin to
follow moving objects with the eyes and reach for things. At first,
this will be inconsistent, and later more accurate, as eye-hand
coordination and depth perception begin to develop. During the next
few months, your baby should begin to use his/her arms and legs.
Eye movement and eye/body coordination skills continue to develop
as vision progressively stimulates and guides movement.
Activity:
• Use a nightlight in your baby’s room.
• Change the crib’s position frequently and your child’s
position in it.
• Keep reach-and-touch toys within your baby’s focus,
about eight to twelve inches.
• Talk to your baby as you walk around the room.
• Alternate right and left sides with each feeding.
• Hang a mobile above and outside the crib.
Six months: A trip to the optometrist
Your baby’s first visit to your doctor of optometry for a
comprehensive eye assessment should be scheduled at six months of
age. The optometrist will test for visual acuity, excessive or unequal
amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, evaluate
eye alignment, and examine eye teaming ability. The health of your
baby’s eyes will be assessed as well. Although problems are
not common, it is important to identify children who have specific
risk factors at this stage. Vision development and eye health problems
can be more easily corrected if treatment is begun early.
Exercise:
• Let your baby explore different shapes and textures with his
or her fingers.
• Give your baby the freedom to crawl and explore.
• Play “patty cake” and “peek-a-boo”
with your baby.
Eight to twelve months: Getting mobile
Your baby is mobile now, being attracted to objects in their visual
environment. He is using both eyes together to judge distances,
and is grasping and throwing objects with greater precision. Crawling
is important for developing eye-hand-foot-body coordination.
Activity:
• Give your baby stacking and take-apart toys
• Provide objects your baby can touch, hold, and manipulate.
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