4 - Milestones and normative data

Abstract

The growth of the eye from infancy to adulthood is a complex, sequential process with the anterior portion of the eye developing earlier than the posterior portion. The infant eyeball measures 16.5mm in axial diameter, and is 70% of the adult eye size. The anterior chamber between the cornea and the iris grows rapidly in the first 2 years, followed by the slower, gradual posterior segment development into the teenage years. Vision development begins in utero, with a steep increase over the first several months of life. Normative data of pediatric eye structures are updated with the introduction of new imaging technology, including optical coherence tomography.