0 - 1 month: the first view of the world
At birth, a baby's vision is still very limited. Babies can only see clearly a distance of about 8 to 12 inches, which is just enough to see the parent's face while feeding. Distant objects are blurry, and babies prefer strong contrasts and shapes. At this stage they are often fascinated by their parents' faces, especially the eyes and mouth.
- What can they see?: Nearby objects and faces at a distance of about 20-30 cm.
- Recognition: Babies mainly recognize strong contrasts, such as black and white patterns.
After the first month, the baby begins to better control his eye muscles, which helps to focus both eyes on one point. This allows them to observe objects and faces more clearly and for longer. Babies are now starting to distinguish colors, although they mainly see bright primary colors such as red and blue. They are also becoming increasingly better able to follow moving objects with their eyes.
- What can they see?: Still at a short distance, but they are starting to distinguish shapes and colors better.
- Recognition: They may begin to recognize parents' faces and track faces and objects with their eyes.
During this period, coordination between both eyes improves significantly, which promotes the baby's depth perception. This allows them to see further away objects more clearly and to better map their surroundings. Babies also begin to see details, such as facial expressions, and show interest in smaller objects. They may begin to observe their hands and feet, and become fascinated by movements.
- What can they see?: Objects at a slightly greater distance, sharper details, and different colors.
- Recognition: They begin to recognize familiar faces, especially those of parents and siblings.
Around this age, babies' color vision is almost fully developed. They can now distinguish subtle color differences, which helps them better understand their environment. Hand-eye coordination also improves, allowing babies to reach for and grasp objects. They can better track objects with their eyes and begin to anticipate movements.
- What can they see?: Clear colors, faces and objects at a greater distance.
- Recognition: They can now recognize the faces of different people around them, as well as favorite toys and other familiar objects.
By the time a baby is six months old, their vision has improved considerably. They can see objects clearly at different distances and show interest in everything around them. During this period, depth perception has greatly improved, which is essential for their growing mobility. As they learn to crawl or move, their vision helps them better assess their surroundings.
- What can they see?: Clear vision of objects at different distances, with greatly improved depth perception.
- Recognition: They recognize faces, objects and even daily rituals or objects from their environment.
Around 8 to 12 months of age, a baby's vision approaches that of an adult. They now have fully developed color vision and can see objects clearly both near and far. Their ability to focus and track is also comparable to that of adults. During this period, babies learn a lot about their environment through their vision and can easily distinguish faces, objects, and even different shapes and patterns.
- What can they see?: Sharp details, colors and movements, both near and far.
- Recognition: They can recognize faces, objects and situations and show a strong memory for familiar people and objects.
The development of vision in babies is a miraculous process. From their first blurred vision to seeing faces and distant objects clearly, babies undergo a huge visual transformation in just 12 months. This vision development makes them better able to understand and interact with their environment, which is crucial for their overall development.
Parents can support their baby's vision development by stimulating them with colorful objects, facial expressions, and interactions that are appropriate for their developmental stage. Every moment is a new discovery in the fascinating world of vision!