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What can a newborn see?
When are newborn babies able to focus and actually distinguish people and objects?
The ability to distinguish between colours is probably not very good until the baby is at least three months old. This is the reason newborns tend to be most attracted to contrasts of dark and light rather than brightly coloured objects. Another interesting aspect of a newborn's vision is that it allows for a preference for human faces. In fact, there is a portion of the brain that seems to be dedicated to this facial recognition. Newborn babies are naturally attracted even to rough sketches of human faces. This specific recognition mechanism helps to form a bond between the mother and child, particularly during breastfeeding.
A drawback to a newborn's vision is that the baby's eye muscles are mildly weak and definitely unco-ordinated. So, even though the vision may be advanced enough to recognise shapes and contrasts, the muscles of the eye make it difficult to both focus and follow these objects. Most parents are familiar with the cross-eyed look newborn babies can give. However, the poor co-ordination that makes it difficult for the eyes to move together becomes less of an issue by the time the baby is three months old.
Studies are still being done to fully understand what a newborn can and can't see. But, undoubtedly, as we learn more, we will continue to be amazed at what babies can really do.
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