How Your Child’s Vision Changes Over Time
From birth through adolescence, learn how vision changes early in life, what’s normal and what’s not.
5
min read
Reviewed on
July 18, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
From birth through adolescence, learn how vision changes early in life, what’s normal and what’s not.
July 18, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
From birth through adolescence, learn how vision changes early in life, what’s normal and what’s not.
July 18, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
Birth through adolescence is a time of explosive growth and development — including for the eyes and vision. Learn how vision changes early in life, what’s normal and what’s not.
Babies typically go from birth to crawling and then walking within just 18 months. Their eyes also experience rapid growth from birth to two years.
Not only does the brain develop in childhood, but the eyes themselves grow. In early childhood, it’s common for the eyeball to be a little shorter than long. This makes it less than perfectly round. Most children’s eyes can adjust and don’t need any vision correction. But some kids will need corrective lenses for farsightedness.
The eye grows longer after age 10 until a person reaches their early 20s. For some, this means they’ll grow out of being farsighted. For others, they’ll grow into being nearsighted, where they need help seeing distance.
Common vision problems in children include the following.
Because the eye is growing, children may grow into or out of needing glasses. Younger children who need vision correction are typically farsighted, while older children are nearsighted. Signs of kids needing vision correction can include:
Also known as “lazy eye,” amblyopia is when one eye sees better than the other. Over time, the brain relies on the stronger eye for vision, ignoring the weaker eye. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss in the weaker eye.
Treatment for amblyopia can include wearing a patch and putting blurring eye drops in the stronger eye. The patch and eyedrops force the brain to rely on the weaker eye. Over time, this strengthens the eye until they eventually work equally well.
Strabismus, or “crossed eyes,” occurs when the muscles controlling the eyes don’t work together to move the eyes in the same direction at the same time. Because of this, the eyes send two different images to the brain. The brain learns to suppress one of these images and only focuses on the other. Over time, this can lead to deterioration of vision in the “ignored” eye.
Treatment for strabismus can include wearing glasses, using special eye drops, wearing an eye patch over the weaker eye, and eye exercises. If the strabismus is significant, eye surgery may be needed to strengthen or weaken the muscles attached to the eye so that they work together.
Learn more about common vision issues in kids.
Vision changes continue during the teenage years, though typically less abruptly than in earlier childhood. Once a person reaches their early 20s, their vision typically settles into a steady state for the next 20 years.
Many teens transition from wearing eyeglasses to wearing contact lenses at this time. Teens are usually more ready to handle the responsibilities of contact lens wear. They also value how contact lenses are more “invisible” and call less attention to their faces. Contact lenses can be more convenient and safer for teens who play sports too.
Things to watch out for with teen vision health include:
Contact your eye doctor if you have any redness, irritation, or other signs of an eye infection.
(Learn more about vision changes in your 40s and beyond.)
Just like going to your primary care doctor or dentist, regular eye checkups allow your eye doctor to monitor for changes in your vision and catch problems early. This is when chances for good outcomes are best.
Here’s how often the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recommends eye checks for babies and kids:
