Early visual experience and its role in the development of a child

Abstract

The function of the visual analyzer plays one of the Leading roles in the development of the child. From the first days of a child's life, vision is closely associated with touch, hearing, smell and other types of sensitivity. As a result, complex dynamic systems of connections are formed, which are the sensory basis of all mental activity and orientation of the child in space.

Understanding the processes and creating optimal conditions for early neuro-sensory development is important both for caring for a healthy newborn and young child, and for organizing developmental care for premature and sick children in a hospital setting.

The newborn is able to recognize contrasting images (faces and eyes), which are rounded and easier to observe, since their eye muscles have not yet had much practice in making sudden movements. The visual apparatus of a premature newborn has additional functional limitations and points of vulnerability.

The article discusses aspects of the visual system in the neonatal period, with a more detailed analysis of the features associated with prematurity, describes the mechanisms explaining the negative impact on the processes of visual development of intense direct light, the absence of objects and patterns in focus, lack of attention (for example, sedation), lack of changes in the environment, lack of movement, complete darkness, or lack of adequate lighting on waking.

A long period of nursing a premature baby in a hospital in the intensive care unit, in an incubator microclimate in compliance with a protective regime, the impossibility of full maternal care, and therefore in the absence of sensitive stimuli, falls on the most important period of the development of the nervous system. It is at this age that an adequate and timely start of neurosensory development is very important, in connection with which the need for research is increasing to determine the optimal start dates and methodology for early developmental care.

Keywords:newborn, preterm, prematurity, visual system, vision, neurosensitive development, psychoneurological development, developmental care, newborn nursing

Funding. The study was carried out as part of the research work on the topic of the state assignment "Improving approaches to intensive care, feeding and nursing premature babies with perinatal pathology" (head of the state assignment topic, deputy director for scientific work - Dmitriy N. Degtyarev, MD, PhD, DSc, Professor).

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Contribution. General supervision, writing the manuscript - Ryumina I.I.; writing and formatting the manuscript, data collection, preparing of illustrative material - Kukhartseva M.V.; scientific editing of the manuscript - Narogan M.V.; scientific consulting -Borovikov P.I.; scientific consulting on IT technologies - Lagutin V.V.; scientific consulting in clinical psychology - Whiteley I.

For citation: Ryumina I.I., Kukhartseva M.V., Narogan M.V., Borovikov P.I., Lagutin V.V., Whiteley I. Early visual experience and its role in the development of a child. Neonatologiya: novosti, mneniya, obuchenie [Neonatology: News, Opinions, Training]. 2020; 8 (4): 52-60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/2308-2402-2020-8-4-52-60 (in Russian)

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CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF EDITOR
Degtyarev Dmitriy Nikolaevich
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Deputy Director for Scientific Research of the V.I. Kulakov Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology National Medical Research Center of Ministry of Healthсаre of the Russian Federation, Head of the Chair of Neonatology at the Clinical Institute of Children's Health named after N.F. Filatov, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Russian Society of Neonatologists, Moscow, Russian Federation

ORCID iD 0000-0001-8975-2425

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