6 week old eyesight

Infant Vision Birth to One Year

What does my baby see? This is a very common question for parents. This Helping Hand will describe what your baby sees from birth to one year of age, and how you can help your baby’s vision develop.

Birth to One Month of Age

At birth your baby sees only in black and white, and shades of gray. Nerve cells in the brain and retina of the eye are not fully developed. They also have trouble focusing, and are not very light-sensitive yet. Infants’ eyes are large compared to their bodies. When a baby is born, his or her eyes are about 65% of their adult size. One week after birth the baby can see colors and can see about 8-10 inches away. At six weeks of age baby can see about 12 inches away.

You can help your infant’s vision by holding and feeding him or her on each side, left and right (Picture 1). Place your baby in the crib facing different ways to see different views. Put up a mobile so your baby can watch it.

Two Months to Three Months

Your baby should be following objects or “tracking” and should start reaching for things.   The baby recognizes your face, and remembers what he or she sees.

You can help your baby’s vision by using a mobile, or holding up bright objects in front of her for the baby to reach for. Your face is one of her favorite things to look at.

For the first two months of life an infant’s eyes are not well coordinated, and may cross or wander. This will usually go away, but if it continues, or if an eye is constantly turned in or out, the baby should be seen by a doctor.

Four Months

Vision is clear, and your baby can now see farther away. He or she still prefers looking at you close up and should be awake often. Encourage play time, and reaching for bright objects and toys.

Six Months

Your baby’s eyes should be working together all the time. Your baby sees colors like adults do. Play peek-a-boo, and use mirrors to help develop vision.

Seven Months to Twelve Months

Your baby is now moving around more. He or she is better at judging distances and more accurate at grasping objects. Babies are learning to coordinate their vision with their body movements. The color of the eyes may change. Many babies are born with blue eyes. Over time dark pigment is produced which can make the baby’s eyes darker.

You can help your baby’s vision by talking to him or her a lot. Place objects in front of the baby and say the name of the object as you hand it to him or her. Encourage your baby to crawl or walk to toys (Picture 2).

When to Call the Doctor

All infants should have regular checkups with their doctor, who can screen for problems.

Premature infants are at high risk for vision issues. All premature infants should be seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist by age 3.

If you see any of the following, call your baby’s doctor:

• Eyes that do not work together
• Eyes that have a lot of tearing or crusting
• Baby turns or tilts head to one side or closes one eye most of the time.
• Anytime you are concerned about your baby’s eyes or vision, or if the baby’s regular doctor is concerned

If there are any problems with your baby’s vision, it is much better to find them early. The earlier problems are found, the earlier they can be taken care of.

Additional information

American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (Aapos.org)

Preventblindness.org

American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org)

Infant Vison Birth to One Year (PDF)

HH-IV-108             07/14, Revised 6/19 | Copyright 2014, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Your Newborn's Hearing, Vision, and Other Senses (for Parents)

Your newborn may seem to do little more than eat, sleep, cry, pee, and poop. But if you notice how your baby reacts to things like light, noise, and touch, you will see the senses hard at work.

What Can My Baby See?

Your baby sees things best from 8 to 12 inches away. This is the perfect distance for gazing up into the eyes of mom or dad (a favorite thing to do!). Any farther than that, and newborns see mostly blurry shapes because they're nearsighted. At birth, a newborn's eyesight is between 20/200 and 20/400.

Their eyes are sensitive to bright light, so they're more likely to open their eyes in low light. Don't worry if your baby's eyes sometimes cross or drift outward (go "wall-eyed"). This is normal until your baby's vision improves and eye muscles strengthen.

Give your baby lots of appealing things to look at. After human faces, bright colors, contrasting patterns, and movement are the things newborns like to look at most. Black-and-white pictures or toys will keep your baby's interest longer than objects or pictures with lots of similar colors.

When quiet and alert, your baby should be able to follow the slow movement of your face or an object.

What Can My Baby Hear?

Your newborn has been hearing sounds since way back in the womb. Mother's heartbeat, the gurgles of her digestive system, and even the sounds of her voice and the voices of other family members are part of a baby's world before birth.

Once your baby is born, the sounds of the outside world come in loud and clear. Your baby may startle at the unexpected bark of a dog nearby or seem soothed by the gentle whirring of the clothes dryer or the hum of the vacuum cleaner.

Notice how your newborn responds to your voice. Human voices, especially mom's and dad's, are a baby's favorite "music." Your baby already knows that this is where food, warmth, and touch come from. If your baby is crying in the bassinet, see how quickly your approaching voice quiets him or her down. See how closely your baby listens when you are talking or singing in loving tones.

Most newborns have a hearing screening before being released from the hospital (most states require this). If your baby didn't have it, or was born at home or a birthing center, it's important to have a hearing screening within the first month of life. Most babies born with a hearing loss can be diagnosed through a hearing screening.

Can My Baby Taste or Smell?

Newborns can taste and smell and will favor sweet tastes over bitter ones. For example, a newborn will choose to suck on a bottle of sweetened water, but will turn away or cry if given something bitter or sour to taste. Likewise, newborns will turn toward smells they favor and turn away from bad odors.

Though sweetness is preferred, taste preferences will continue to develop during the first year of life. In fact, studies show that a mother's diet can affect the way her breast milk tastes. These first flavors can help shape flavor preferences later on. For example, a mother who ate spicy foods while nursing is likely to have a child who grows up to favor spicy foods.

For now, breast milk or formula will fully satisfy your baby.

Why Is Touch Important?

Touch is very important to a newborn. With each touch, your newborn is learning about life and its surroundings.

While in the womb, babies are kept warm and protected, but after birth they are faced with feeling cold for the first time, brushing up against the hardness of the crib, or feeling the stiff edge of a seam inside clothes. Be sure that your newborn finds the world a soothing place to be by providing lots of soft clothes and blankets, tender kisses, comforting hugs, and loving caresses.

If You're Worried

If you want a little reassurance that your baby's senses are working well, you can do some unscientific testing for yourself.

When quiet and alert without other distractions, will your baby look at your face or a toy? If your baby's eyes seem to cross more than just briefly, be sure to tell your doctor. Also tell the doctor if your baby's eyes appear cloudy or filmy, or if you notice unusual eye movements.

Most newborns will startle if surprised by a loud noise nearby. Other ways to rest assured your baby is hearing well: Does your baby calm down when he or she hears your voice? Does your baby turn to the sound of a rattle? Does your baby react to soft lullabies or other music?

Even if your child passed the newborn hearing screen, talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your baby's hearing. The sooner a potential problem is caught, the better it can be treated.

Vision in infants: the formation of the visual system after birth.

From All About Vision

Your heart skips a beat when your newborn baby opens its eyes and looks at you for the first time.

Don't worry if it doesn't happen right away. In newborns, the visual system develops gradually.

In the very first week of life, a child sees the world differently: indistinctly and in shades of gray.

Only a few months after birth, the baby's visual system will work to its full potential. Knowing the key milestones in the development of the eyes of a newborn baby (and how to help them along) will help you understand that your baby is developing normally and enjoying life. nine0003

Baby's eye development begins during pregnancy

Your baby's visual system begins to develop even before birth. Therefore, how you take care of yourself and your body during pregnancy is important and affects the development of the body and mental abilities of the child, including the eyes and visual centers in the brain.

Be sure to follow the nutritional advice your doctor gives you. Be sure to take your prescribed supplements and vitamins, and get enough rest. nine0003

Do not smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy, as toxins can cause many health problems for the baby, in particular vision problems.

Smoking is especially dangerous during pregnancy. Cigarette smoke contains about 3,000 different chemicals (such as carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide) that can harm a person.

Even regular aspirin can be dangerous: it increases the risk of having a low birth weight baby and complications during childbirth. Low body weight, in turn, can contribute to vision problems. nine0003

Always check with your doctor before taking any medication during pregnancy. This also applies to over-the-counter drugs, herbal supplements, and other over-the-counter medications.

Eye Condition at Birth

Shortly after birth, your pediatrician or neonatologist will examine your baby's eyes for congenital cataracts or other serious neonatal eye problems in newborns.

Although such diseases are rather an exception, it is better to detect and treat them at an early stage in order to reduce the pathological impact on the development of the infant's visual system.

To protect the child's eyes from pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms that could enter them during the passage through the birth canal and cause eye infection , an antibiotic ointment is placed in them. Early prevention of possible eye infections is very important for the normal development of the visual system. nine0003

ARE YOU CONCERNED WITH YOUR BABY'S VISION? Find an optometrist nearby .

At birth, your baby sees objects only in black and white and in shades of gray. This is due to the fact that the nerve cells in the retina and brain that are responsible for color perception are not yet fully developed.

A newborn baby is not yet able to focus on nearby objects (disturbance of accommodation). Don't worry if you notice that your baby is unable to "focus" on objects or on your face. It will take time for him to acquire this ability. nine0003

Despite all these features, studies have shown that just a few days after birth, the baby is able to distinguish the mother's face from the face of a stranger.

Scientists believe that the baby recognizes the mother's face thanks to the contrasting hairline. (During the study, women covered their hair with a scarf or swimming cap, and the baby could not tell the mother's face from that of a stranger.)

Therefore, to encourage eye contact, during the first weeks of a child's life, do not change the hairstyle or appearance. nine0003

You may also notice that babies have rather large eyes. This is because usually a child's head grows first, and then the rest of the body. At birth, a baby's eyes are 65% the size of an adult's eyes!

Baby's eyes in the first month of life

In the first month of life, the baby's eyes are not highly sensitive to light. By the way, in order for a child who is 1 month old to understand that there is light in the room (the threshold of sensitivity to light), the light must be 50 times brighter than normal. nine0003

Don't be afraid to leave a light on in the nursery, because it won't disturb the baby's sleep and you won't trip over the furniture when you go to visit him at night!

Very quickly the baby acquires the ability to distinguish colors. A week after birth, the baby can see red, orange, yellow and green. A little later, he will be able to distinguish between blue and purple. This is because blue light is the shortest wavelength, and there is only one type of receptor in the retina that can "see" blue light. nine0003

Don't worry if you notice that your baby's eyes are looking in different directions. One eye may sometimes be slightly averted to one side or the other. This is fine. But if the baby's eyes squint to the side, consult an optometrist immediately.

Tips: Paint your baby's room in bright, cheerful colors to stimulate his eyesight. Furniture or interior details should be of contrasting colors and shapes. Hang a bright, colorful hanging piece above or next to your crib. It is important that it be multi-colored and consist of different geometric shapes. nine0003

Development of the organs of vision: 2nd and 3rd month of life

Significant changes occur in the baby's visual system during the second and third months of life. During this period, visual acuity increases , functional strabismus (if it was) disappears. Now your child is able to follow moving objects and tries to fix his eyes on them.

A bright, bright room with lots of colors and shapes to help stimulate your baby's vision development.

Moreover, the baby learns to look from one object to another only with his eyes, without moving his head. Also, the child's eyes become more sensitive to light: at the age of 3 months, the threshold of sensitivity to light decreases. Therefore, during sleep, the light should be dimmed. nine0003

Tips: To stimulate the eyesight of a 2-3 month old baby:

• Add new objects to the room or change their position frequently to enrich the baby's experience.

• Leave a night light on to stimulate vision when your baby is awake in the crib.

• Place the baby on its back during sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, when the baby is awake and under supervision, put it on the tummy. This posture stimulates the development of visual perception and motor skills. nine0003

Development of the organs of vision: Months 4-6

By 6 months, the visual centers of the baby's brain are quite well developed. The child sees more clearly and can follow moving objects with quick and precise eye movements.

Visual acuity improves from about 20/400 (6/120) at birth to 20/25 (6/7.5) at 6 months. Color perception reaches the level of an adult; the child can distinguish all the colors of the rainbow.

At the age of 4-6 months, the child's hand-eye coordination becomes more perfect, which allows him to quickly find and pick up objects with his hands, as well as accurately guide the bottle (and more!) into his mouth. nine0003

Six months is an important milestone in life, as this is when you should have your baby's first eye exam.

If necessary, a qualified eye specialist will examine a child at 6 months of age. But routine eye exams are usually recommended after kindergarten age (3-4 years and older).

If you have any concerns, you can also consult your doctor for further advice. nine0003

For a thorough examination of your six-month-old baby's eyes, see an optometrist who specializes in children's vision and eye development.

Eye Development: Months 7-12

Your baby is now moving around a lot, crawling and covering distances you never dreamed possible. He is getting better at estimating the distance to objects, more precisely grabbing and throwing them. (Beware!)

This is an important period in your child's development. At this stage, the baby feels his whole body better and learns to coordinate vision and movement. nine0003

Now you have to pay more attention to the baby to keep him out of harm's way. It is not uncommon for bumps, bruises, eye injuries and other serious injuries when the baby explores the world around him.

Close cabinets with household chemicals with a padlock, place special railings in front of stairs.

Don't worry if your child's eyes start to change color. Most babies are born with blue eyes because at birth there are not enough dark pigments in the iris. Over time, there will be many more of them, so your baby's eyes may change color from blue to brown, green, gray or swampy. nine0003

Tips: To stimulate your child's hand-eye coordination, you can lie on the floor with him and invite him to crawl to an object. Put your baby's favorite toy away and invite him to get to it. You can also offer to disassemble and assemble various objects and toys.

Strabismus problems

Pay close attention to how your child's eyes move, either together or separately. Strabismus is a term for a misalignment of the eyes. It is very important to detect and treat it at an early stage so that the child's vision develops properly. nine0003

Left untreated, strabismus can lead to amblyopia or "lazy eye."

It may take months for a child to achieve joint eye movement. But if you notice that one of the baby's eyes is squinting or moving separately from the other, contact an optometrist immediately.

Vision problems in premature babies

The average duration of a normal pregnancy is approximately 40 weeks (280 days). According to the WHO, a baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature. nine0003

Compared to full-term babies, premature babies are at greater risk of developing eye problems. And the shorter the period, the more serious the complication.

The following vision problems associated with preterm birth are characteristic:

Retinopathy of prematurity (RP)

This is a disease in which fibrous changes and blood vessels develop in the thickness and on the surface of the retina. ROP is often accompanied by retinal scarring, poor vision and retinal detachment . In severe cases, retinopathy of prematurity can lead to blindness.

All premature babies are at risk of ROP. Extremely low birth weight is an additional risk factor, especially when the baby is placed in a high oxygen incubator immediately after birth.

If your baby was born prematurely, ask your obstetrician for a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for an eye exam to rule out ROP. nine0003

Nystagmus

These are involuntary oscillatory eye movements.

In most cases, nystagmus manifests itself in the form of involuntary eye movements in various directions, with different frequencies and amplitudes of "oscillation". Eye oscillations are pendulum in nature, horizontal, diagonal and rotational movements are observed.

Nystagmus may be congenital or may develop over several weeks or months. Risk factors include optic nerve hypoplasia, albinism, and congenital cataracts. By the amplitude of eye oscillations, you can determine how badly the baby's visual system is damaged. nine0003

If the child shows signs of nystagmus, consult an optometrist immediately.

Remember that smoking during pregnancy greatly increases the chance of preterm labor.

Page published on Monday, November 16, 2020

Article | How babies see

The way a baby sees the world around him depends on his parents. It is in your power to teach a child in his first months to look at life with "wide eyes". nine0184