How Does The Sense Of Sight Evolve In Children?
Did you know that more than half of the stimuli we perceive come from vision? This is a complex and extremely useful sense for human beings. Naturally, it develops in stages. Therefore, we are going to describe the different instances that make up the sense of sight in children.
Vision is the sense that most influences human perception. With it, we perceive shapes, colors, distances, sizes, among many other characteristics of the reality that surrounds us.
Now the organs of sight are the eyes. These are two very fragile spherical organs located in the front of the face. Its anatomy is very complex and has several parts, each with a specific purpose, whether protective or functional.
Just like any other resource and sense of our body, vision has a gradual process of development. As the baby grows, its sense of sight improves, until it reaches its full development in the eighth or ninth month of life.
Evolution of the sense of sight in children
Vision in newborns
Unlike other senses that are already being developed almost since the beginning of life, such as touch and hearing, vision takes a little longer to reach its full development.
In the first month of life, a baby’s brain is not yet ready to process all the information that vision sends. Therefore, your vision is blurry, without much definition. It may even be difficult to coordinate eye movement.
So don’t be alarmed if your baby squints from time to time or your eyes dart from side to side. As the weeks go by, he will learn to focus his gaze.
The following months
From the second month of life onwards, the baby’s sense of vision is able to distinguish some colors. You will see that, little by little, he will pay more attention to the most vivid and striking colors. Also, he will be able to follow objects with his eyes more easily.
From the end of the third month onwards, the baby’s incipient motor skills will allow him to move his hands and pick up objects. In addition, further development of its neural circuitry will make it possible to distinguish shapes, sizes, and other features of what it holds.
From the fifth month onwards, the children’s sense of sight is able to distinguish shapes more accurately.
In this way, they come to appreciate small objects and their colors better. In just a few weeks, your eyesight will be almost fully developed. This will allow them to see people and objects from a greater distance.
How to take care of the sense of sight in children?
In addition to regular appointments with your pediatrician, which include eye exams, as a mother, you can also follow some recommendations to keep your baby’s vision healthy.
A first piece of advice, as in many other cases, has to do with food. Maintaining a healthy diet, rich in vitamins – especially vitamin A – and antioxidants will allow you to maintain healthy eyesight.
Also, we must be very careful with our hands. It is not uncommon for children to play in the dirt or grass and occasionally scratch their eyes. This negligence can cause an infection. Therefore, we must be clear when transmitting health and hygiene guidelines.
On the other hand, we cannot ignore the suggestion to avoid excessive exposure to the computer, cell phone or television. Likewise, you should always keep a reasonable distance from the screens.
Finally, a pair of quality sunglasses with UV protection is essential to avoid the harmful effects of the sun in case of prolonged exposure. Yes, these accessories are not just used for aesthetic reasons: they are almost a must.
Problems in the sense of sight in children
The following symptoms can be an indicator that something is not right with the children’s vision. If this is the case, please do not hesitate to consult your doctor in the face of any of these signs:
- Lack of coordination.
- Difficulty recognizing figures or shapes at short, medium or long distance.
- Headaches.
- Burning.
- Constant dryness.
In the meantime, in babies, you should be aware of the following issues:
- Do not follow objects with eyes at 3 months of age.
- One or both eyes do not move in a particular direction.
- Not being able to keep your eyes fixed.
- Spots or discoloration in the pupils.
Finally, you should keep in mind that there are factors that predispose a person to suffer from vision problems. They can be natural – especially if other family members have had them – or pathological. This last category includes accidents, trauma and exposure to harmful stimuli.
