FAQ
What do infants see?
Upon the infant's birth, it can see objects sharply at a distance of 40 cm. This distance approximately corresponds to the nursing /breastfeeding distance - the distance between the nursing infant and the mother's face. Around the age of half a year, the infant is capable of recognizing 30 by 30 cm. objects from a distance of six meters, and from closer, it sees smaller objects. Vision continues to develop, and children reach the ability to discern objects just like adults by three, up to five years of age.
Color vision among infants begins as early as a one-month-old. At this age, they have a sensitivity to the brightness and intensity of the color they see, and they look for a longer period at prominent colors and shapes that create high contrast. At 4 months of age, they can react to the entire visible color spectrum.
When should infants have their eyes examined?
Upon the infant's coming into the world, the eyes begin transferring visual information to the brain. The brain cells develop using this visual information and take on the function of deciphering the information to achieve good visual acuity.
If the information that reaches the brain is not high-quality, the cells will not develop properly. Therefore, if the eyes do not transmit a clear, sharp image, vision may be compromised, and if this is not diagnosed in time, irreversible damage can be caused.
Therefore, it is critical to have an eye exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist by the time the child is one-year-old.
Why should we have an eye exam with pupil dilation drops?
The use of pupil dilation drops is an integral part of examining the child's eyes.
These drops have two main objectives:
1. Testing whether glasses are necessary. Due to the contraction and relaxation of the muscle that constricts and expands the eye's internal lens, the child's exact prescription number for glasses cannot be determined. The pupil dilation drops paralyze this muscle, and thus, an accurate test can be performed, to see whether the child needs glasses.
2. Examining the posterior (back) segment of the eye (the retina, optic nerve, vitreous humour, blood vessels).
The action time of the drops is up to 24 hours. A slight vision blurring is caused, mainly for a near vision distance. In rare cases, a blush on the cheeks and a slight rise in body temperature occur.
What is pupil inequality?
The pupil is the black area that is visible in the center of the colorful area of the eye. Pupil inequality is a phenomenon where the pupils are not equal in size.
This is a relatively common phenomenon. Sometimes a pupil that dilates when exposed to light can indicate a disorder in the eye's innervation. On the other hand, a highly constricted pupil that does not expand in the dark, associated with a drooping/sagging eyelid, can also be indicative of a disorder in the nervous system (Horner's Syndrome).
With this phenomenon, it is recommended to go for an exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist.
How do you check whether the child needs glasses even before he or she has learned to talk?
In a comprehensive eye exam by a pediatric ophthalmologist the doctor will dilate the pupil with dilation drops. After the dilation, a test to determine the prescription number for the glasses can be performed without the necessity of cooperation on the child's part.
For this reason, it is possible to diagnose whether a young child needs glasses even before he or she is capable of talking.
