A newborn baby can see the expressions of its parents at a distance of 30 cm. For the first time, researchers have managed to reconstruct infants' visual perception of the world.
By combining technology, mathematics, and prior knowledge of the visual perception of babiesResearchers at the University of Oslo, Norway's largest and most prestigious university, have successfully demonstrated how much a newborn can actually see. Below, I'll explain in detail. find your what science reveals about your amazing visual world.
The results of the study say that a 2 to 3 day old baby can perceive faces, and perhaps also the emotional facial expressions, at a distance of 30 centimeters. This is the approximate distance between a mother and her breastfeeding baby. If the distance is greater than 60 centimeters, the visual image is too blurry for the baby to perceive faces and expressions.
El study was carried out by researchers from the Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, in collaboration with colleagues at Uppsala University and Eclipse Optics in Stockholm, Sweden.
Moving images, key to the investigation
The study fills a knowledge gap about the visual world of babies which has been open for several decades. The results may help explain claims that newborns can imitate adults' facial expressions during the first days and weeks of their lives, long before their vision is developed enough to perceive fine details in their environments. The key word is movement.
«Previously, when researchers have tried to estimate exactly what a newborn baby sees, they have invariably used still photos"But the real world is dynamic. Our idea was to use moving images.", says Svein Magnussen, emeritus professor at the Institute of Psychology.
Testing an old idea
Early in his career, Magnussen did research on the visual perception of humans. One day, about 15 years ago, he was discussing with his colleagues the problem of testing whether newborns are really capable of perceiving the facial expressions of the people around them. The researchers agreed that if it were true that babies could see and imitate facial expressions, The reason could be that the faces were moving.
But back then, Magnussen and his colleagues didn't have the equipment or the expertise to test their idea. The research they just did is based on that old hypothesis that no one had tested before. video and information leaks until now.
What makes facial expressions intelligible?
To carry out the test, the researchers had to combine the modern simulation techniques with the previous understanding of how infants' vision works. Magnussen comments that a great deal of information was already available on young infants' contrast sensitivity and spatial resolution thanks to behavioral studies conducted in previous research. These studies found that presenting a figure against a uniform gray background caused infants to direct their gaze toward the figure when the contrast exceeded a threshold.
«Figures composed of black and white stripesBy choosing a specific bandwidth and frequency, the field appears uniformly gray, and the infant does not direct their gaze toward it. By changing the bandwidth and frequency to compensate for the figures, the data allows us to determine the exact level of contrast and spatial resolution needed to make the infant direct their gaze toward the figure., says Magnussen.
In other words, the researchers had access to very accurate information on the vision of newborns. What was unknown to them were the practical consequences of this information when applied to moving sequences and real facial expressions.
Movement is easier to see
It is easier to recognize something that is moving than a blurry still photo. The researchers made video recordings of faces changing between various emotional expressions, and subsequently filtered out information they knew wasn't available to newborns. They then let adult participants watch the videos. The idea was that if adults couldn't identify a facial expression with the limited information a baby would have, then it was reasonable to assume a newborn would be unable to do so as well.
Adult participants correctly identified facial expressions in three out of four cases when viewing the video at a distance of 30 centimeters. When the distance was increased to 120 centimeters, the participants' identification rate dropped to what would be expected by chance. This means that ability to identify expressions based on visual information available for a newborn baby reaches its limit at around 30 centimeters.
For the first time there is a concrete estimate of what a baby sees
«It is important to remember that we have only investigated what the newborn can actually see, not if they are able to make sense of it", says Magnussen.
Previous attempts to recreate the visual reality of the newborn baby have usually relied on taking a normal photograph and then blurring it. Magnussen confesses that he has been surprised that no one before them has made use of the detailed information that we have on infants' visual perception. Therefore, this is the first time we have a concrete estimate of the visual information available to newborns.
How far and how clearly can a newborn see?
During the first few weeks, a baby sees better 20-30 cm distance, which coincides with the space between his face and the face of the person holding it. From then on, everything is perceived as blurry because his visual system is in full maturation and his initial visual acuity is reduced (guideline values close to 20 / 200-20 / 400 on clinical scales). They are also sensitive to intense light, so they tend to open their eyes more in dim lighting.
At that short distance they can distinguish large contours, the silhouette of a face, light and dark areas, and smooth movements. However, fine details (eyelashes, teeth, letters) remain beyond reach in the first few weeks. This is not a problem: it is part of the physiological myopia of the newborn and improves rapidly over time.
Evolution of visual development month by month (first year)
- 0-1 month: Detects light and shadows, prefers patterns of high contrast and looks at human faces. It can track very slowly moving objects in its near field.
- 2 months: Increased attachment; some babies begin to continue better an object at 30-60 cm. Interest in familiar faces grows.
- 3 months: Eye-head coordination is improving; it should be now follow with your gaze a moving object. Many begin to reach for what they see.
- 4 months: The perception of the color and contrast; sight guides the hand to explore nearby objects.
- 6 months: Recognize differences between objects more easily; improves depth perception and hand-eye coordination.
- 7-8 months: Trunk support and crawling promote binocular vision (coordinated use of both eyes) and the calculation of distances.
- 9-12 months: Touch and explore details with fingers, search for falling objects and locate them visually; the retina and visual pathways reach functional maturity comparable to that of an adult in many respects.
Later, among the 3 and 6 years Skills such as directionality, spatial perception, and the fine coordination necessary for reading and writing are consolidated. Many visual abilities mature by the age of 6-7 years, although some fine-tuned features can be further refined later.
Colors, contrasts and patterns that look best
In the first months, the baby's visual system responds best to marked contrasts, which is why black and white designs, stripes or targets are so striking. As for color, chromatic sensitivity emerges gradually: it is described that the Red is usually distinguished first, followed by Verde, and later on blue and yellow, until from around four to five months most babies already discriminate most colors and its shades.
This does not mean that they “see only in black and white”; they do perceive color from early on, but what really captures their attention at first are the sharp contrasts and simple shapes. As your sharpness and contrast sensitivity improve, so does your interest in more complex patterns and a richer color palette.
Is it normal for eyes to wander?
In the first few months, it is common to see a baby's eyes occasionally cross or separate. This is because the eye muscles and binocular coordination are still maturing. Usually, these erratic movements are noticeably reduced between the 2 and 3 months.
Signs that justify consultation: if the deviation is challenge or very marked beyond 3-4 months, if one eye seems not to follow objects, if there is persistent tilting of the head to look, or if a white reflex is observed in the pupil or opacity in the cornea. Early detection and treatment improve the prognosis.
How to stimulate vision in a respectful way
- Offer face-to-face contact at 20-30 cm, especially in quiet moments: this is their “clear zone”.
- Use toys and images of high contrast and slow movement; it alternates black and white with bright colors as the weeks go by.
- It favors the daylight and avoid direct, bright light; minimize screens and saturated stimuli.
- Allows time for floor and game in different positions (on their back, supervised tummy time); the movement improves hand-eye coordination.
- Talk to him and sing to him while looking at him; the human face is his favorite visual stimulus and strengthens the bond.
Warning signs and when to consult
- Does not fix gaze or follow an object 2-3 months.
- Absence of response to bright light or blinking at visual stimuli.
- White reflex in the pupil, cloudy eyes or unusual and persistent eye movements.
- Constant eye deviation beyond the 3-4 months.
- Preference for bringing objects very close, frequent winking or headache when he is older.
Your pediatrician will check your eyes at health checkups and refer you to ophthalmology if you detect anything. Regular check-ups are essential to identify problems that may later affect the learning and academic performance.
Recommended tests and reviews
In the newborn, they are explored visual reflexes Basic vision and the appearance of ocular structures. Throughout childhood, the pediatrician checks fixation, tracking, ocular alignment, and acuity based on age. When a disorder is suspected, an evaluation by a pediatric ophthalmologist or pediatric optometrist is requested.
Other sensory areas are also systematically assessed. For example, the newborn hearing screening It allows for early identification of hearing loss, which is key to language development. Although our focus here is on vision, coordination between the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) is fundamental to overall development.
Vision and its relationship with other senses
The brain integrates multiple senses to build a coherent world. The baby recognizes the voice from his caregivers, calms down with soft sounds and startles with loud noises. smell distinguishes the aroma of breast milk and the mother's skin, and the taste shows initial preference for sweets. Meanwhile, the touch It provides security in a new environment: skin-to-skin contact, hugs and cuddling regulate and promote visual attention.
This sensory integration explains why, in arms, the baby can look at your face longer, follow your gestures and respond to your voice. The connection, the rhythm and the environment we offer act as “scaffolding” for their visual learning.
Myths and realities about what they see
- “They only come in black and white”: In fact, they perceive colors very early on, but they react very strongly to high contrasts.
- “Crossed eyes are always pathological”: small intermittent deviations are normal at the beginning; check if they are constant or persist.
- “The more light, the better they see”: Newborns prefer dim light; overexposure can cause discomfort and reduce visual attention.
- “They learn to see on their own, regardless of the stimulation”: maturation is natural, but a rich and respectful environment power milestones and early detection of problems.
Understanding how a newborn sees helps adjust expectations and create everyday scenes that promote their development: proper distance for face-to-face meetings, high contrast toys, slow movements, and lots of emotional interaction. With these habits, and with pediatric and ophthalmological checkups when indicated, we accompany the baby on the rapid path from his first blurred contours to increasingly clear vision. clear, colorful and coordinated.