Babies can see objects (and people) from up to 18 inches away when they are two months old. That means you'll still have to approach near, but your baby will be able to view your face while feeding. When you walk near by, she should be able to follow your motions as well. Of course, nothing is perfect and some babies won't respond at all, but most should recognize the approach of food about 18 inches away.
As babies get older, their eyes will grow more sensitive to light, so they will be able to see red and blue colors later. By four or five months, most babies can see in color.
The ability to see comes from within each child, so some will see earlier than others. However, most children will learn how to interact with their environment by touching things first and then exploring further if needed. If your baby doesn't look at you when you talk to her, or if she seems uninterested in what you have to say, it may be because she is focused on something else entirely. Be patient and keep trying!
View in Disarray The newborn can only see things 8–12 inches in front of her face during her first week. This is the distance between her face and yours while she is nursing. Babies' gazes are usually only held for a few seconds. > span > In addition to their immediate surroundings, newborns also appear to be aware of what is going on with other people in their families.
At one week old:
Newborns can see about 12 inches ahead of them, which is why they need your help when putting clothes away or getting ready for bed. They can also see movement, so if you walk slowly toward a window, an infant will recognize something as being important if you stop walking for a moment. Finally, babies are very social creatures and this sense helps them understand how they should act around others.
In addition to hearing their parents' voices, newborns can hear sounds such as running water, dishes being washed, and vacuum cleaners being used around the house. They can also hear the television, but it is mostly noise to them. Siblings' cries may reach their ears as well. Of course, babies can feel sound too! There are several studies that show that babies as young as one week old can respond to sound, even though they cannot yet move their bodies to react to music or speak aloud.
From 8 to 12 inches away, your infant can see the finest. This is the ideal distance for looking up into mum or dad's eyes (a favorite pastime!). Because babies are nearsighted, they perceive largely hazy things any further away. A newborn's vision is between 20/200 and 20/400 at birth. By three months, it improves to reach 40/200 by four months old.
Newborns can see about what adults can. Their vision isn't as sharp as an adult's because their lenses aren't fully developed. They're more sensitive to light too! That's why bright lights should be kept out of newborn rooms.
By three months, an infant's vision gets better than an adult's. This is because the lens of an infant grows faster than that of an older child or adult. The lens of an adult cat becomes fully developed by around age 11 years. That of a child cat may not finish developing until she is at least four years old.
In general, vision develops more quickly in children under five years old than it does in adults. This is because the lens of a young eye is still growing which makes it more flexible and allows it to focus on close-up objects.
Vision development follows a predictable pattern. Infants become visually aware of color around 5-6 weeks old. By 10 weeks, they start to notice shapes after being exposed to visual stimuli for just 30 minutes a day.