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Refractive development
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Changes in the refraction of the eye continue throughout life. Depending on age, they can be divided into seven periods:
- I - chest;
- II - infant;
- III - preschool;
- IV - school;
- V - active;
- VI - presbyopic;
- VII - involutional.
At birth, the spread of refraction of the eye can be quite significant: from high myopia to high hyperopia. The average value of refraction of a newborn is in the range of hyperopia +2.5... +3.5 D. Most newborns have astigmatism, 1.5 D or more. During the first year of life, in the process of active emmetropization, the spread of refractions decreases sharply - the refraction of farsighted and nearsighted eyes shifts towards emmetropia, and astigmatism decreases. This process slows down somewhat in the period from 1 to 3 years, and by the end of the 3rd year of life, most children have a refraction close to emmetropia. In some children, the emmetropization process does not achieve its goal, they are diagnosed with congenital myopia, hyperopia of more than 1.0-2.0 D, which are often accompanied by astigmatism and anisometropia. In preschool age, refraction changes little, but some children may develop early-acquired myopia. The process of myopization is especially active in school age, when 25-40% of children develop myopia (in some regions up to 90%).
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