Did you know that pediatric eye exams are covered by the province of Alberta. Learn more about infant eye development and when you should bring your baby in for their first eye exam with us!
The first year of life is full of a number of developmental milestones that parents are eager to track. At Optometrists' Clinic Inc., part of our job is to help parents identify key milestones in their infant's visual development by providing pediatric eye exams in the Edmonton area. Let's take a look at how an infant's vision will develop, on average, from birth to their first birthday. If you are concerned about your child’s eye health or development, schedule an exam with our family-friendly optometrists today.
How Your Child’s Vision Develops as They Grow
Vision at Birth
When an infant is born, their visual field is blurry and mostly made up of shades of gray. Their visual acuity is only around 20/400. In the first few days, your infant is likely to be interested in bright lights as they provide the greatest visual contrast.
Visual Development During the First Month
During the first month, objects will appear most clearly to your infant from about eight to 10 inches away. You may start to notice their eyes moving back and forth and spending a lot of time looking at your hairline, especially if there is a high contrast between your skin and your hair.
Visual Development from Two to Four Months
At this stage, your baby will become very interested in movement and will track objects with their eyes. They will also want to reach out to touch and grasp objects that are nearby, though they may not always be successful at judging the distance.
Visual Development from Five to Eight Months
Between five to eight months, an infant's colour vision will become quite acute and their depth perception will begin to develop. This will lead to greater success when reaching out to grasp nearby objects.
Visual Development from Nine Month to One Year
Around this time, your baby will start crawling and begin to show even greater interest in the objects in their environment. They'll be grabbing everything they can get their hands on and may even start throwing! The ability to easily discern between different colours also usually starts to show itself at around one year.
When You Should Get Your Baby’s Eyes Examined & What to Expect
Your infant should have their first eye exam with an eye doctor when they are six months old. The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan provides coverage of complete eye exams for children 18 years and younger, so don't wait to get your infant's eyes checked. It will be a quick, roughly 15-minute exam to test for nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and colour vision, as well as to assess overall eye health. An eye exam can also help catch signs of developmental delays
Book Your Child's First Pediatric Eye Exam in Edmonton Today
If your child is around six months of age, then it's time to take them for their very visit with an Edmonton eye doctor for a pediatric eye exam. Our experienced are all committed to providing even our smallest patients with the highest level of care. We'll make sure that your child's visual development is progressing as it should be. To schedule a pediatric eye exam in Edmonton at one of our locations, just contact Optometrists' Clinic Inc. today and find an eye center conveniently located near you.