When Do Babies Start To Be Able To See?

Our sense of sight plays an important role in the way people perceive the surrounding world. Our vision begins to evolve from the moment we are born and goes through different stages. We will explain in detail the way babies begin to be able to see.

When they are born, the characteristic feature of babies is to keep their eyes wide open, almost all the time. It is normal to lean towards the mistaken belief that newborns are trying to explore the new world around them. However, in reality they see almost nothing.

No matter how much the eyes remain open, in these first minutes of life, babies still cannot see. Like the other senses, their vision will gradually develop and the child will have to get used to it, little by little.

The sight the first months of life

Newborn babies are able to see contrasts and shifts in light. For example, they can pick up flashing lights, or detect when a light is turned on in a room in the dark. At that moment, a reflex is activated in their pupils so that they are not blinded.

As the days pass, they will begin to be able to distinguish between figures, even if it is reasonably unclear. Their mother’s face, on the other hand, will be one of the first things they discover. In addition to what they see with their eyes, they will be able to sense the mother with touch, smell, her warmth and voice.

When babies are about 2 weeks old, they can see objects about 25 inches away with no clarity. For this reason, they will be able to observe their mother during breastfeeding.

However, they will not be until they are 1 or 2 months that they are able to focus well. Likewise, they will not be able to see a distance greater than 30 centimeters, without being squinted.

So, when do babies start to be able to see?

From about the second month of life,  babies will already have some control over their vision, which allows them to focus on one point and see it better. At this stage, they will discover a special interest in brilliant colors, and things that shine.

Before that, they were not able to differentiate between comparable colors. More specifically, they could distinguish contrasts between, for example, black and white. As the weeks of the third month go by, their range of colors will expand. 

In this third month, babies will be accurate enough with their vision so they can see more details. This applies to buttons on clothes, or some specific characteristics of their toys.

Later,  when they are 4 months old, babies will go through the last stretch. At this point, they will gradually acquire the following skills:

• Follow faces and objects  with their eyes.
• Distinguish colors from each other  with greater precision.
• See more generally. 
• Look for things  with their eyes.

When babies are about 7 months old, they will finally reach full development, according to their sense of sight. Of course, there is not one specific time for all children: each child will have his or her own pace of development.

Sight does not only depend on the eyes

Like so many other human processes,  sight depends on the “central command” that governs everything we do: the brain. 

Therefore, even if babies’ eyes are shaped in the 26th week of pregnancy, their brain will not be fully developed yet to process this information.

We need to understand the growth of babies as a whole, not as separate parts. As their eyes become fully developed, their nervous system will learn to establish the necessary connections to interpret the signals.

These improvements can be mainly noted in the coordination of their movements with the eyes. Subsequently, they will also have sharper images, as well as their ability to interpret them.

On the other hand,  the movements of their back and neck muscles will become stronger, allowing them to direct their vision towards different places. 

So, it is normal that they start focusing on their environment which they are now able to explore whenever they want. This usually occurs when they are about 10 weeks old.

Advice to take care of babies’ eyesight

• Do not expose them to sunlight for extended periods.
• Perform eye exams suggested by the pediatrician.
• After breastfeeding for the first 6 months, make sure you incorporate healthy and nutritious foods.
• Cut their nails, making sure they do not injure themselves with their hands, or put things in their eyes.

With these basic tips, you will promote a health that will allow your child to avoid problems in the future. From the moment babies begin to be able to see, we must treat their vision as it is: one of the most important senses in man.