Why is it important for both eyes to see well?
You may have already heard that, during the development of a child’s vision, it is important to check that both eyes are developing harmoniously. Dr Pierre-François Kaeser, a university lecturer and clinical researcher, director of the paediatric strabology and ophthalmology unit, explains the importance of good binocular vision to guarantee your child’s visual health and thus avoid the formation of eye disorders.
The risk of amblyopia
Vision is not mature at birth; it develops in the first years of life. Throughout this development process, the two eyes are in competition with each other. If one eye sees less well than the other, the brain simply uses images of the better eye and does not learn to see with images of the weaker eye. This is called amblyopia.
It is therefore necessary to detect myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia or other visual disorders as soon as possible in order to prevent the child from developing poor binocular vision. If in doubt, it is important to have an eye test with an ophthalmologist. The physician will check the near vision and far vision of the child in order to make a diagnosis. If necessary, a treatment with corrective lenses will allow for harmonious visual development.
This will allow the child to have good 3D vision
As we grow up, good binocular vision is important if we are to see what we are looking at as clearly as possible. This is what we call the visual scene. If you try closing one eye, you’ll find that you’re much less able to appreciate the environment than with both eyes open. The visual field is wider when we have both eyes open.
If our two eyes are not above each other, but next to each other, it is for a good reason: to allow us to see in 3D.
In fact, each of the two eyes, placed next to each other, observes the objects with a small horizontal offset. The brain receives these two slightly horizontally shifted images, then puts them back together. This is called fusion and allows us to perceive texture, depth and 3D.
Avoid strabismus
Normally, the axes of the eyes are parallel, both when we look at the distance and closely. The two eyes are able to focus on the object being looked at together.
When the child squints or one of his eyes is misaligned with respect to the other, he is at risk of strabismus. Because of this ophthalmic abnormality, the brain will not be able to reconstruct 3D images. As a result, the child will not have a detailed perception of texture.
It is important to pay attention to the child’s vision, because the child will not complain about it. If in doubt, consult your paediatrician or ophthalmologist who will refer you for an eye examination.
What other vision problems should I be aware of and need an ophthalmological examination?
Vision problems sometimes go unnoticed in children. This is why it is important to observe certain symptoms: headache or migraine, blurred vision, visual fatigue, eye discomfort, etc. If in doubt, please visit our pages on different conditions such as glaucoma, conjunctivitis, dry eye, nystagmus, or diplopia.