How much do you know about your baby’s vision? It is important that you understand baby vision development and you will learn all about it in this guide. We will provide you with an infant vision development timeline and answer all of the questions that you have about newborn baby vision.
What does Baby Vision Look like?
You need to understand that your baby will develop their vision from the moment they are born. Baby eyesight development is fairly quick but when they are very young it is not the same as adult vision. We will answer the questions “what can babies see?” and “what can my baby see?” as we take you through the timeline of their vision development.
Rather than take you through baby vision development week by week, we will explain the changes in your baby’s vision every few weeks. Things do not always change on a weekly basis, so taking this approach is the best way for us to explain the development of baby eyesight.
What is a baby’s eyesight development? Well, the first thing that you need to know is that a newborn baby will not be able to see very much at all. Over the first 6 month’s of your baby’s life their eyesight will develop fast. This is essential, as the development of your baby’s eyesight is directly linked to the development of their brain.
How does a Newborn’s Eyesight Develop? The First 4 Months
Your baby’s eyelids will not start to open until around the 26th week of pregnancy. Of course, there is not much for a baby to see in their mother’s womb. When your baby is born their eyes will not be accustomed to the world and images will appear fuzzy.
So, if you are wondering “what age does a baby’s eyesight develop?” it all starts in the womb during the first weeks of pregnancy. Your baby will not be able to see very far when they are born. They will need to be close to your face to see a fuzzy image of it. Experts believe that a newborn baby’s vision is between 8 to 10 inches.
It is quite normal for a newborn to have their eyes closed most of the time. Sometimes your baby will look right at your face but it is not a problem if they do not do this. Some babies need more time to react to faces than others do. Each infant is different and their eyesight will develop at their own pace.
How far can babies see at 7 weeks? This is a question we are often asked or sometimes it is “what can my baby see at 6 weeks?” Your baby will not be able to see very far at such an early age. It is likely that they will be able to see a face close up. They will not be able to detect things moving at this stage.
It is suggested by experts that most babies at 8 weeks old will be able to focus better on the faces of their parents, siblings, grandparents and so on. If you notice that your baby’s eyes appear crossed or seem to wander a lot for the first couple of months then this is nothing to worry about.
In the first 4 months of their life your baby’s vision will improve and they will start to develop their eye to hand coordination skills. They will start to follow moving things with their eyes and at 3 months begin to reach out for objects (including faces).
How far can my baby see at 4 months? Your baby’s vision will have developed significantly by this stage, and instead of only being able to see things a few inches away they should be able to start seeing things a few feet away.
Baby’s Vison Month 5 to Month 8
Your baby will have greater control of their eye movements and will continue to develop their eye to hand coordination skills from month 5 to month 8. When your baby is first born, they will not have any depth perception. They will be unable to judge how near or far away an object is.
When your baby is around 5 months old their eyes will start to work together which will help them to develop depth perception. Gradually, they will start to see the world in three dimensions and will start to judge how far or near things are to them.
By the time that your baby is 5 months old, their color vision should be good according to the experts. It will not be as sensitive as yours is as an adult though. When your baby reaches the ripe old age of 8 months it is likely that they will start to crawl. This will help the further development of their eye to body coordination.
Baby Vision Development 9 Months to 1 Year
When your baby reaches 10 months, they should be able to use their eyes to grab hold of things with their thumb and their forefinger. By the time your baby is a year old their depth perception will be at a point where they can judge distances pretty well. Your baby may be able to throw objects with a good level of accuracy at this stage as well.
Infant Vision Development 1 Year to 2 Years
By the time that your baby is 2 years old they should have developed good depth perception and eye to hand coordination. Although your child’s eyesight will not be fully developed yet, they will be able to use their eyes to learn a lot more about their world. They will want to explore things and they will be able to recognize objects that are familiar to them.
At what age is vision fully developed? Bausch and Lomb believe that fully developed vision to adult levels occurs between the ages of 4 and 5, while others believe that it can take up to 8 years of age to have fully developed vision. The bottom line is that your child’s vision will continue to develop for the first 5 years or so.
Can Babies See Things that we can’t?
When your baby is around 4 months old, they will be able to see some things in a lot more detail than adults can. Experts believe that young babies can also see colors much differently to adults. This is probably true, but there is no way of your baby confirming this as they are unable to speak at this stage.
How to Help Infant Vision Development
At the 5 to 8 months stage add a mobile to your baby’s crib. Give them objects that will help to develop their eye to hand coordination such as plastic blocks. When your baby is between 9 months and a year old, start to play simple hide and seek games with them. This will help your baby to develop their visual memory.
Between a year and two years do things that will help your baby to track the movement of objects. Give them balls and other toys to play with that will help with the development of their motor skills. Read stories to your baby and help them to visualize.
Conclusion
You now know what is happening with your baby’s vision as they grow. It is important that you do not expect too much too soon as your baby will develop their eyesight at their own pace. Be sure to help with your child’s eyesight development by following the suggestions in this guide. Take your baby for regular eye checks as recommended by your doctor.
