Visual milestones

Visual Milestones in young children

At birth –

• Infant will blink in response to bright light
• Able to stare at object if held 8-10 inches away
• Initially fixes eyes on a face, then begins to follow a moving object

1 month –

• Can follow an object upto 90 degrees
• Tears begin to form

2 to 3 months –

• Looks at hands

4 to 5 months –

• Beginning to reach hands to objects, may bat at hanging objects

5 to 7 months –

• Has full color vision, able to see at longer distances

7 to 11 months –

• Can stare at small objects
• Begins to have depth perception

11 to 12 months -

• Can watch objects that are moving fast

12 to 14 months –

• Able to place shapes in proper holes

18 to 24 months –

• Scribbles with crayon/pencil, may imitate drawing straight line /circle
• Can point to body parts when asked

36 to 48 months –

• Can copy shapes

48 to 72 months –

• Recognizes and recites the alphabet
• Has complete depth perception

Changes of Refraction with Age

1. First 6 months- Myopia
2. At 6 months- Emmetropia
3. Hyperopia increases upto 7 years of age
4. Hyperopia decreases after 7 years gradually upto 10 years of age
5. Myopia starts at any age, is progressive upto 18 years of age, thereafter LASIK can be done if power is stable for 1 year.
6. Astigmatism becomes stable after 2 years of age it needs to be checked at puberty for any change
7. At 40 years, presbyopia (Reading glass power) starts and progresses from +1.00 to +3.00 DS usually by 60 years of age

Alignment

1. First 4 months- Exophoria
2. At 4 months- Orthophoria
3. Visual impairment leads to Esotropia in children less than 5 years and Exotropia in children more than 5 years.
4. Intermittent Esotropia and Exotropia become constant if refractive error is not corrected

Risk of Eye Disorder

• At 1 month – 6/120
• 2 months- 6/60
• 6 months – 6/30
• 1-2 years – 6/9
• 6 years – 6/6

• If you are a regular Computer User at any age, you are prone to dry eyes
• Above 40 years of age, Dry Eyes tend to manifest
• Development of Senile Cataract – from 45 to 50 years of age
• Age Related Macular Degeneration- after 50 years of age
• Glaucoma -
  • Narrow angle –More in women with Hyperopia in 40-50 age group
  • Open angle - More than 40 years of age
• Diabetic Retinopathy –
  • In non insulin dependant mature diabetics, risk increases after more than 10 years of diabetes
  • In Insulin dependant juvenile diabetics, more than 5 years of diabetes increases the risk of Diabetic Retinopathy