The development of the temporal and nasal visual fields during infancy.

We used static perimetry to measure the development of the monocular visual field during infancy. Infants from birth to 6 months of age, and adults, were shown a 3 or 6 degrees flashing light at various locations between 15 and 120 degrees in the temporal and nasal visual fields. We assumed that subjects could see a light if they moved their eyes toward it more often than they looked in the same direction on blank control trials. For both the 3 and 6 degrees lights, the visual field expanded with age from the center out, and development in the nasal visual field lagged behind development in the temporal visual field. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.