How Well Do Babies See?

AD – I remember when my little gremlin was a baby being fascinating by what she could see, especially after she was born. I did a bit of googling and always remember reading babies love black and white. We had a few books that had blocks of black and white and we used to prop them up next to her when she was lying on her mat. She also loved to have her toys very close to her face. I remember this dolly that was bought for her; she used to stare at it for ages, quite content.  I always wondered what babies see!

What do Babies See?

Vision Direct have devised a baby sight tool that gives you information on your little one’s vision at the different stages in their life. It is really informative and useful.

The site is really user friendly and concise. I was really impressed with a really nifty drag button which you move from left to right and this displays what your baby can actually see from being a newborn to 12 months old. This is amazing as they can only see a fuzz when they are born. I found this fascinating as my Mum said my little girly used to move her head when she heard my voice or when I came into the room; now this doesn’t surprise me, as she could see nothing!!

There is a button to the right of the page “did you know”. Have a look on the screen picture below:

This then opens up more information regarding the stage of your baby’s life and tips to help with vision development.

I was looking more closely at the newborn stage in preparation and apparently newborns need 50 times more light than adults to realise it is present; they a like little moths seeking out the light. This was great to read as I remember my little gremlin being so content laid down by the window. She would just lie for ages in the light. Now I know why!

Some great tips for this stage are to stay 8-10 inches away from your baby and not to make an drastic changes to your appearance as they are learning to recognise you. Luckily my red hair was to stay when she was born. I remember holding her close to my face and chattering away. Such a lovely stage.

I had a peek at the 6 months stage as I remember this was when the gremlin was grabbing things and enjoying her toys around her. Apparently their depth perception is improving at this point. I also didn’t realise from 6 months they can have a little eye test, especially if you have any concerns.

I found this tool about how well babies see really useful and wished I had something like it when my little girl was a tiny baby. It was fun trying to guess what she could see after being born but it would have been better to know and have some useful tips to aid her sight development as she was growing up and reaching her 1st year milestone.

If there is any of the science geek in you this tool will keep you busy for ages!

Here is a little one info about the tool and Vision Direct:

Vision Direct’s New Digital Tool Helps Parents Learn About Baby Sight

A new interactive tool from Vision Direct helps parents learn how their baby’s vision develops over the first year.

LONDON, February 2016. Vision Direct has launched an online tool to show parents what their baby’s sight might be like as he or she grows older. Using the simple interface, parents can quickly shift from a newborn’s first view to the fully developed vision of a 12 month old child.

• Developed by opticians, this digital tool features a simple sliding scale to show the developmental stages of a baby’s eyesight.

• Input your child’s age and the tool will give you some idea of what your baby’s field of vision, depth perception and colour awareness might be like.

• As you move the slider, you’ll notice colours and objects become sharper. For instance a newborn will see only black and white while a two-month old will see only bright primary shades.

Brendan O’Brien, Vision Direct’s Head Optician and Chief Operating Officer, commented on the launch of the tool:

“We hope this will help parents understand how their baby’s vision changes during this critical time for development. The tool features helpful tips on how to support your child as they learn to focus, track objects and see colours.”

Vision Direct hopes parents can refer to this tool as their baby grows and use this resource to encourage healthy development.

As well as being the leading online retailer of contact lenses in Europe, Vision Direct is committed to being a leading resource for eye health and information.

For more information about how well babies see, follow Vision Direct on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.