Handy overview: what does your baby see from month to month?

Nice to know: around 26 weeks of pregnancy, a baby slowly opens its eyes. After that, the pupils start to work better and better. There is of course not much to see in the womb, but your baby can distinguish light and dark. So if you lie with your stomach in the sun, it will see a light glow.

Newborn

A newborn baby sees almost nothing. He can barely distinguish colors and details are not visible. However, contrasts such as black and white are clear. Coordinating the eyes is still difficult, so it is not surprising if your baby occasionally looks a bit cross-eyed. This usually disappears after about three months.

Month 1

Your baby doesn’t know exactly what you look like yet, but he will find your hairline interesting because it has a sharp contrast. Contours slowly but surely become clear and the first colors (especially red and green) are now more visible. Other colors, such as blue – which initially remains mainly blackish – and yellow, come later.

Month 2

Your baby has now been able to practice a lot with looking and therefore sees much better. Your hairline isn’t that interesting anymore, but your eyes are all the more fun. Up to about seven months, a baby sees best from its own arm’s length. It’s not surprising that he mainly focuses on your face, breasts and his own hands.

Month 3

When babies are three months old, they can see all angles of an object symmetrically. Distinguishing colors is also becoming easier for your baby. You make him the happiest with brightly colored toys. The coordination of the eyes is also getting better: your baby can focus more and more on one point.

Read also
Stop time: everything about the development of your child by age >

Month 4

Around the fourth month, babies start to see depth. This can make your baby curious about things you hold out to him and grab them. He can also continue to follow an object during this period without moving his head. Between three and four months, a baby recognizes more colors and detailed patterns.

Month 5 and Month 6

Children put anything and everything in their mouth during this phase. Because although the view is not yet optimal, they can already follow faster moving things. The result is better eye-hand coordination. A five-year-old baby recognizes not only bright colors, but also softer colors. Vision, a measure of eyesight, is about 0.80. In comparison, that of an adult is 1.00. So almost the same!

Month 7 and up

From the seventh month, a baby sees something across the room. Even so, close-up vision is still better than far away. When they are about one year old, the vision is optimal. Except that it is difficult for them to estimate how fast a cyclist is coming, for example. This is also better developed around the age of seven. If you have the feeling that something in vision development is not going well, it is always smart to ring the bell. The sooner you call in help, the sooner a possible problem can be solved.

Curious what your baby really sees per month? This animation gives a clear picture.