Childhood
From the
time we are born to about 8 years of age, our eyeballs undergo remarkable
changes. Normally, as the front of the eye grows, it flattens, which
sends images deeper inside the eye. If the eye grows as it should, light
will converge on the retina. But if the convergence is off by even a
hair's breadth, vision will be blurred.
Most preschool
and elementary school children are slightly farsighted. This lessens
as children grow, usually stabilizing by adolescence.
During
these years of growth, the eye senses where images are focusing and
compensates accordingly. If light is converging in front of the retina,
the eye will stop growing longer until images catch up to the retina.
If the focus is behind the eye, it will grow longer at a remarkable
rate, pushing the retina further from the source of light until images
can be focused. The eyes are generally able to maintain clear focus
throughout childhood even though the size of the eyeballs is continually
changing.
The ability
to see in three dimensions, stereoscopic vision, is usually fully developed
by the age of 6 or 7.
Sources
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I.P. Eros and Magic in the Renaissance. Chicago, IL: University
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G.H. Seeing and the Eye: An Introduction to Vision. Garden City,
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M.L. Eyes. Toronto, Canada: Key Porter Books, 1994.
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