As your baby leaves the dark, quiet comfort of your womb and enters the bright, noisy world around her, just what can she see?
The short answer: Not much — but that will change, and fast.
In the first six months of life, baby’s eyesight rapidly improves, says Ronald Benner, O.D., the president of the American Optometric Association (AOA).
A baby’s improving vision is also closely linked to brain development — so as her brain matures in leaps and bounds, so does her eyesight.
Here are a few key milestones in your baby’s visual development.
When do newborn babies see?
As soon as your baby opens her eyes, she’ll be able to see her bright new world. But she won’t be able to see very much, in part because her retinas are still developing, says Becky Leenheer, M.D., spokeswoman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a pediatric ophthalmologist.
The farthest your baby can see is about 8 to 10 inches in front of her — the distance from your arms to your face, for instance.
When do babies see color?
Babies can see bright colors within the first few weeks of life, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)[1], but they likely don’t detect differences in shades of color until they’re around 2 to 3 months old.[2] They can, however, see light and dark, as well as patterns, and may begin to show interest in shapes, says Dr. Leenheer.
Babies probably have good color vision by the time they’re 5 months old, says Dr. Benner.
Read This Next
When do babies start looking at you?
Some newborns will look directly at your face after birth (“Hi, there!”), while others keep those peepers tightly squeezed shut (“Excuse me, I was sleeping!”).
Both reactions are perfectly normal: While some infants naturally focus on faces and objects early on, others need a little more time to adjust to the newly expanded world around them.
As your baby’s vision develops over the next few months, she’ll take in your smiling face — and all your many expressions — and will likely be able to hold your gaze by around week 6.[3]
Eyesight development in newborns
At birth, a newborn’s whole world will be a kaleidoscope of fuzzy images. It’s a big change for a little baby, whose eyes were closed until at least 26 weeks of pregnancy, if not a bit later (and after that, when they were open, they were in the dark).
During the first few months of life, a baby’s eyes will start working together, and their vision will start improving, says Dr. Benner.
Eyesight development in babies 2 to 3 months old
At this age, some babies may start to recognize faces (and treat you to a first smile) — but their sight is still fairly blurry. Babies can typically start to see some colors at this age too.
Babies who are born prematurely may take a bit longer to focus on your face, but don’t fret: They will catch up developmentally. In all likelihood, your baby will be checking you out in detail in no time.
Eyesight development in babies 3 to 4 months old
By now, your baby’s vision has nearly fully developed. She can see at least several feet away — which is why you may have noticed her watching you from across the room — and can notice differences in color (especially red and green). She may even begin favoring specific shades!
She’s also getting better at following objects with her eyes. By about 4 months old, your baby can track faster movements, perceive depth, and even grab at moving objects — although her hand-eye coordination may not yet allow her to hold onto the target of her attention.
And because her eyes are starting to work together, she’s also developing depth perception — which means that your little one can finally recognize your face with much more clarity.
Eyesight development in babies 12 months old
Your baby can see about as well as an adult, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
At the age of 1, her hand-eye coordination is still a work in progress, but she should be able to judge distances fairly well by now, according to the AOA.
When is your baby’s eyesight fully developed?
A baby’s eyesight is about the same as an adult’s by the age of 12 months, but every child will develop at her own pace.
How to help your baby’s eyesight develop
Your baby’s eyesight will progress naturally, but there are a few things you can do to encourage her development and hand-eye coordination.
- Talk to your baby. When you’re breast- or bottle-feeding, your face is close enough for even the youngest baby to see — and it’s also conveniently one of her favorite things to observe. So talk to her while you look her in the eyes — you’ll bond and help her begin to learn language too.
- Encourage playtime. Place some toys about 8 to 12 inches in front of your baby’s gaze and give her plenty of time to play and explore. When she’s around 9 to 12 months old, play hide-and-seek games to help boost her visual memory skills.
- Hang a mobile. Babies love images with contrasting colors and patterns. So until your little one is able to sit up (at about month 3 or 4), securely hang a colorful, patterned mobile high above her crib or bouncy seat. (Just make sure to remove it as soon as she can sit to prevent her from becoming entangled.)
- Mirror her. Another visual hit with babies: mirrors. While they can’t recognize themselves until about month 15, they do love seeing the changing image reflected back at them as they move.
- Bring baby along for the ride. Put your little one in a forward-facing carrier as you go about your day — whether you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood, shopping for groceries, or just brushing your teeth. Describe what you see to boost her verbal development at the same time she’s observing the world around her.
- Use hand gestures. When you play games like “patty cake,” move her hands along to the words.
Signs of baby vision problems
While infant vision problems are only detectable by a pediatrician or an optometrist or ophthalmologist, you can take a few steps to ensure early intervention on any potential issues:
- Snap photos. While “red eye” isn’t the look you’re going for, this nuisance actually shows that baby’s eyes are correctly refracting light. Pictures that show whiteness in baby’s pupils, on the other hand, indicate a condition known as leukocoria, which may signal serious problems (such as a cataract or a tumor) that require attention from a pediatrician right away.
- Watch for focus. In the first few months, it’s normal for a baby’s eyes to sometimes seem like they’re looking in different directions (a condition known as strabismus). However, if this continues past 4 months, take your child to a pediatrician for an evaluation. Same goes if your baby doesn’t seem to focus on your face and instead appears to be looking through or around you, or if she consistently seems to be looking off to one side.
- Check that your baby is interested in objects. If by around month 4 your baby can’t track objects, or by month 7 doesn’t seem interested in any new visuals you show her (like that bright new toy you just bought), check in with your doctor.
- Monitor other eye issues. Other symptoms that merit a trip to the doctor include bulging eyes, eyes that seem to quickly flutter up and down or side to side, constant redness or wateriness, sensitivity to light, itchy eyes or eye pain.
When to call the doctor
If you notice any of the above or other visual issues that don’t seem quite right, bring baby to the doctor for an exam. Be on the lookout, too, for signs of an eye or vision problem, which can include:
- Excessive tearing or dried crusting on the eyelid, which could be a sign of a blocked tear duct
- Red or encrusted eyelid, which could be a sign of an eye infection
- Rubbing of one or both eyes, which could be a sign of a vision problem
- Constant eye turning or wandering, which could indicate a problem with the eye muscle
If you’re seeing your baby’s doctor regularly, you should catch any issues early — pediatricians screen babies for vision problems at checkups. If your doctor does notice any potential issues, you may be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
