Newborn baby's vision development: prevent an eye infection

Soon after your child’s birth, your doctor will briefly examine his/her eyes to rule out signs of congenital cataracts or other serious neonatal eye problems. Though such eye problems are rare, they must be detected and treated early to minimize their impact on your child's vision development.

Also, an antibiotic ointment is usually applied to your newborn's eyes to help prevent an eye infection from bacteria present in the birth canal. At birth, your baby sees only in black and white and shades of gray. Nerve cells in their retina and brain that control vision are not fully developed. Also, a newborn infant's eyes don't have the ability to accommodate (focus on near objects). So don't be concerned if your baby doesn't seem to be "focusing" on objects, including your face. It just takes time.

Despite these visual limitations, studies show that within a few days after birth, infants prefer looking at an image of their mother's face to that of a stranger. Researchers believe this preference depends on large, high-contrast stimuli, like the boundary of the mother's hairline to her face. (In studies, if these boundaries were masked with a scarf or bathing cap, the infants' preference of looking at their mother's face went away.)

So to encourage visual interaction with your newborn child, keep your hair style the same, and avoid altering your appearance. One thing you may notice about your newborn son or daughter is how large their eyes are. This is because normal infant development proceeds from the head down. At birth, your baby's eyes are already 65 percent of their adult size!

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