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Do Kids Eyes Get Better?

Published in Children's Eye Health 2 mins read

Yes, in many cases, kids' eyes can improve as they grow, often leading to a reduced need for glasses.

While it's not a guarantee for every child and every eye condition, generally, most children do outgrow the need for glasses. This is because many early vision issues in children are related to the eye's shape changing during crucial developmental years.

Why Kids' Eyes Can Improve

The primary reason why children might see an improvement in their vision is directly linked to how their eyes develop:

  • Eye Shape Development: Most early vision conditions requiring glasses are caused by variations in the shape of the eye. Conditions like farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism, for example, can be influenced by the length and curvature of the eyeball.
  • Growth and Stabilization: As children grow and mature, the shape of their eye continues to develop. For many, this development results in the eye's shape stabilizing into a form that requires less, or no, corrective lenses. The refractive error (the eye's ability to focus light) can decrease naturally over time.

As children grow, the shape of their eye can stabilize, which often corrects or improves the focusing issues they experienced when younger. This natural process explains why most children do outgrow the need for glasses.

Examples of Improvement

  • Farsightedness (Hyperopia): Many babies are born slightly farsighted. As the eye grows longer, this farsightedness often decreases and may disappear completely.
  • Astigmatism: Mild astigmatism caused by slight irregularities in the cornea's shape can sometimes lessen as the eye develops.

Important Considerations

  • Regular Eye Exams: Even if improvement is expected, regular eye exams are crucial for monitoring vision changes and ensuring any necessary interventions are provided.
  • Not All Conditions Improve: More severe conditions or specific types of vision problems, like significant nearsightedness (myopia) or conditions caused by eye diseases, may not improve with age alone and might require ongoing management.
  • Glasses as a Tool: When needed, glasses play a vital role in ensuring proper visual development and preventing conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye).

Understanding that the eye is a developing organ helps explain why vision can change significantly during childhood, often for the better regarding the need for corrective lenses.