During the first year of life, a baby’s vision undergoes a lot of changes. At each appointment with your baby’s pediatrician, the doctor will examine your infant’s vision.
They will check to see if your baby’s vision is growing normally. You may observe and take pleasure in your child’s visual development if you know what to anticipate. It is also important to know about light sensitivity in babies and children.
According to the article written in the American Academy of Ophthalmology entitled Vision Development: Newborn to 12 months, babies’ sensitivity to light increases after birth.
They appear to have narrow pupils, which means that less light can penetrate their eyes. A newborn baby’s peripheral (side) vision allows them to perceive objects nearby, but their central vision is still developing.
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A baby’s pupils enlarge within a couple of weeks as their retinas grow. They can recognize patterns and ranges of light and dark.
Huge forms and vivid colors might start to catch their eye. A baby may also start concentrating on something that is directly in front of them.
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Light sensitivity in children
Everybody has occasionally experienced sensitivity to light. However, there is a distinction between a brief period of pain following a darkened room exit and living with persistent photophobia on a daily basis.
According to TheraSpecs article entitled Pediatric Photophobia: Light Sensitivity in Children and Kids, pediatric light sensitivity, also known as photophobia, is frequently disregarded but affects children patients just as severely as it does adults. Although there are several causes of children’s continuous sensitivity to light, the most common one is a chronic illness, such as glaucoma, migraine, or concussion.
When your child has photophobia, which causes discomfort or anguish to the eyes when exposed to light, physical problems like migraines, concussions, and others can be very difficult to manage.
Pain and confusion can be very severe side effects of photophobia. These kids frequently may have other problems including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder.
It can be challenging to identify and treat the underlying cause when young kids display seemingly unexplainable behavior due to extreme discomfort brought on by photophobia.
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What is photophobia and how it affects babies and children?
The word photophobia came from the root word “photo” which means “light”, and “phobia” which means “irrational fear of”. This word suggest that a cognitive problem is at fault. However, having photophobia is not about fear of light but rather it is used to describe eye discomfort or pain brought on by exposure to light –both natural and artificial light.
Light sensitivity causes
As parents, it is essential for us to know the light sensitivity causes that may affect our children.
An article entitled Light Sensitivity Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment, published in Light House Guild, stated that photophobia is a symptom of an underlying disorder rather than a separate illness.
This covers ailments of the eyes, mental health issues, and adverse drug reactions. It is also a typical side effect in the days after eye surgery.
The connection between your eyes’ photoreceptors and the optic nerve is what causes the discomfort or agony that is associated with photophobia. This symptom can cause pain in a child due to abrasions, inflammation, and other health complications.
Light sensitivity test: Visual screening test for babies
There are different ways or light sensitivity test that doctors may try for your baby. Here are some visual screening tests for babies:
Visually evoked potential/response testing
In these exams, either a strong light source or a unique pattern is used to stimulate the eyes. The infant’s head has attachments that connect to a unique monitor. Once the baby is shown the lights and patterns, the equipment subsequently records electrical activity in the brain.
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Other light sensitivity test for babies:
- Blinks to light – a baby will blink in response to a bright light.
- Fixation and following – a test to determine a baby’s ability to stare at and follow a toy or object is the most popular way to gauge their visual acuity.
- Pupil response – measuring the response of the pupil, the dark area at the center of the eye, by flashing a light in it.
Visual screening for toddlers
Cover and uncover the test
When a youngster is focusing on an object, this test looks at how the child’s eyes are aligned. The toddler is staring straight ahead with one eye covered with an opaque card. Then, the tester checks to see if the exposed eye moves.
Other light sensitivity test for toddlers:
- Allen pictures
- Preferential looking tests
- Hundreds and thousands
- Teller acuity cards
- Cardiff acuity cards
American Academy of Ophthalmology, Light House Guild, TheraSpecs, Essilor, Australian Journal of General Practice, University of Rochester Medical Center
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