vista del neonato

Newborn Vision 0-12: Development, Problems and Stimulation

Newborn Vision 0-12: Development, Problems and Stimulation

1. Newborn vision: introduction 2. What is a newborn's vision like in the womb? 3. Newborn vision: what does he see at birth? How much does his vision improve in the first few weeks 4. Newborn vision at 2/3 months How does he see colors from 2 to 4 months? 5. What does a newborn see from 4 to 6 months How does he see colors from 4 to 6 months? 6. Newborn vision: from 6 months onwards 7. Development of visual perception skills step 1: Facial recognition step 2: Discernment between shapes and sizes step 3: Perception of depth and distance 8. Vision problems in newborns Hyperopia and Myopia Strabismus Lazy eye 9. When is the first eye exam for a newborn performed? When are vision defects measured? 10. How to help develop your child's vision In the first few weeks From 2 to 4 months From 4 months onwards 11. Visual development and language development: a fundamental link

The development of the newborn's vision begins in the mother's womb. From the perception of light and dark, the child will improve month after month his visual abilities until almost complete development at the age of one.


In this article you will discover what the newborn can see from birth to 12 months, the problems that need to be identified as soon as possible and the correct stimulations to provide to the little one.


Before starting, I'll leave you some useful information:

  1. If you would like to schedule a studio visit with me, you can find me here.
  2. You can also find me on Instagram with the profile @drsilva.com_official
  3. In the video courses section you will find how to promote the psychomotor development of the newborn.

Newborn View: Introduction

Sight is one of the 5 senses that man possesses. It has a fundamental importance as it connects with the other sense organs allowing to “coordinate” the information coming from them.


Have you ever seen the sea in the distance and had the perception of smelling the saltiness and feeling the humidity on your skin? And suddenly you find yourself remembering when, years ago, you ran barefoot on the sand?


Well, all this is possible thanks to the nerve fibers that carry visual signals from the eyeballs to the occipital cortex . In fact, to reach their location in the brain, these signals stop in the structures that regulate smell, memory and posture .


You should know that the development of this complex system begins in the first weeks of the newborn's intrauterine life.

What does the sight of the newborn in the womb look like?

To be precise, sight begins to develop 30 days after conception . In fact, during this period the eyes will begin to form on both sides of the fetus' head.


However, it is only around the fourth week that the basic structures of the fetal eyes begin to form. This initial process is characterized by the outline of the primary ocular structures, including the lens, cornea, and sclera.


As pregnancy progresses, around the seventh week , the optic nerve develops, which plays a crucial role in carrying visual signals from the retina to the brain. The formation of retinal cells and their vascularization occurs during the fourth to fifth months of gestation , preparing the ground for the beginning of visual perception in the newborn.

newborn baby view in the womb

During the second/third trimester of pregnancy important developments occur:

  • The first eye movements begin;
  • Nerves that carry visual stimuli to the brain develop , namely the retinal nerves that connect to the back of the brain;
  • 10 billion new synapses are created every day;
  • Neural circuits begin to control the opening and closing of the eyelids, eye movement, and pupil dilation.

So, what does it mean in simpler words?


All this indicates that the baby is able to perceive light through the belly of its mother. An experiment was conducted to prove this, in which a light source was pointed at the abdominal wall of the future mother. Observing the fetus from the ultrasound, it was noted that it reacted by closing its eyelids, moving and increasing its heart rate.

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