I’m Looking At You Mom: When The Newborn Discovers You – Being Parents

I’m looking at you, mom. A baby’s eyesight and eyes experience many changes during the first 6 months of life. Observing every nuance, the way he maintains his focus on objects, is something we need to watch out for. Because the eyes are this indispensable and wonderful channel, from which our children must discover the world.

Now, we’re sure you won’t be surprised to learn this, but during the first few weeks of a child’s life there are only two essential things you need to focus your full attention on  : you and the milk. One thing and the other symbolize this primary instinct for survival. However, something fascinating will also happen.

Your child will integrate your face as something important in their brain. The more he sees you, the more he will look for you and the happier he will be to see you. The instinct for survival is then combined with the power of affection, and that bond is something that will never be broken.

Today we invite you to discover the different aspects of babies’ vision that are sure to be of great help to you.

I look at you mom, because you are near me

Babies’ vision is genetically programmed to connect with people and especially with their parents. Newborns have very blurred vision for long distances. They cannot clearly see objects beyond 30 or 40 cm.

Their poor visual acuity over long distances during their first moments of life also responds to a survival instinct: reducing stress, fear and anxiety in order to focus on what is important, the faces around them, mother’s breast or in its place, the bottle.

Find out more interesting details below.

Newborn baby makes quick eye contact with mom

• He looks at you, he sees you and he knows who you are. Few things are as important as allowing an intimate and prolonged encounter between mother and child immediately after childbirth. Not only do we make first eye contact, skin-to-skin contact provides security, but also relieves stress and a first bond is also created between the two.
• Faces are filled with fantastic stimulation for a newborn baby: there’s a mouth that makes sounds, eyes that look and move, and a face with outlines that outline all that is important to a baby.

It’s something fantastic for them .

My fishy baby

Don’t worry, this is completely normal. During the first six months this is a frequent thing: the brain “learns” to fix the attention and must mature this process, because even if it does not appear, it is very complex.

• It is common to see babies squint for the first 2 to 4 weeks. Their vision is not yet precise enough and it is common that we are a little afraid sometimes when seeing them cross our eyes.
• We must keep in mind that the majority of a child’s visual development takes place in the brain, and not in the eyes themselves.
• So, one of the biggest challenges for the developing brain is coordinating visual signals from one side to the other. Nerve signals from the eyes travel through the optic nerves and separate on either side of the brain.

It is a very complex process that takes time, so that finally there is good coordination of each eye in the desired direction.

The main moments of maturity in the vision of a baby

• At two months, we are happy to see how our children follow our faces, they look at us between smiles or follow with great interest this toy that we show them, even going from left to right. However, their level of attention does not stay long.
• At two or three months, a baby is able to distinguish faces and be afraid of strangers who has never seen.
• It is at this age that he will benefit the most from visual stimulation, from mobile toys above his cradle. However, since his attention level drops easily, he’ll appreciate any new, fun stimulation you give him.
• The next big visual step occurs at the age of 6 months. This is when the 2 parts of the brain are already at an optimal level of coordination and maturation.

• Children are now very curious, they are attentive, they search, they discover and most importantly, their coordination is now perfect. We can hide one eye from them, and with the other, they will continue to seek stimulation. However, if your child is already 6 or 7 months old and you still perceive that he is squinting or that one of his eyes suddenly crosses, do not hesitate to consult your pediatrician and the ophthalmologist.

The color of a baby’s eyes

There is a very common myth. This is the one we have all heard so many times when we are told that the blue color of the baby’s eyes is due to the fact that he is always feeding on breast milk.

• There is no scientific basis to maintain such a hypothesis. This is not true. The color of the iris, like the color of the skin and hair, depends on a protein called melanin.

• When a baby is born, it is common for their eyes to be gray or blue because they have spent a lot of time in a dark environment and their melanocytes are not yet mature. It is a process that takes its own time and which we will see changes from day to day.
• This process of maturing and whether or not a baby’s eye color changes progresses differently in each child and depends on genetics. However, at 6 months, a specific color begins to be defined, which will be definitive at the age of two.

In conclusion, few things are as magical as that moment when we realize our baby is looking at us. He knows that we are important to him, that he needs us and that, little by little, he will discover a lot more about us and everything around him.

Do not neglect the care of your baby’s eyes and face the slightest anomaly, do not hesitate to consult a good pediatrician.