1 in 5 children have or will have a sight problem. A high figure which should encourage parents to be vigilant and to consult a specialist. Early diagnosis and appropriate management make it possible to effectively correct a visual defect in children and improve their visual acuity.

At birth, the child does not have good eyesight and has a visual acuity of 1 / 20th. He is born hyperopic because his eye is too small. He distinguishes some shapes but not the colors. His vision improves over time. ” Vision matures at age 12, estimates Professor Dominique Brémond-Gignac, ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Amiens,  but babies will quickly appreciate the shapes and, for example, recognize their mother’s face“. At 1 month their visual acuity changes to 1 / 10th then 4 / 10th at 1 year. Between 2 and 4 years, their visual acuity reaches 10 / 10th. It varies from child to child.

The child begins to distinguish colors between 6 weeks and 4 months. The contrasts are seen later. The structure of the retina is also changing. specializes, explains Prof. Dominique Brémond-Gignac, Furthermore l‘eye grows, its size adjusts. It goes from 17 mm to 23,5 mm. The cornea flattens. The lens of it grows every year, throughout life«.

It will also take time for him to be able to concentrate his vision on an object. Younger people can squint sometimes without this being worrying. However, some may suffer from strabismus. The opinion of a specialist is essential to determine if it is a strabismus or a fleeting squint..