During their first year of life, our babies undergo many changes. Before you know it, they've gotten bigger, no longer exhibit the "newborn scrunch" when you pick them up, and are quickly on their way to talking. But many other, less obvious, developments are taking place too that are just as significant. While we may not notice these developments the same way we notice developments of a more outward nature, they change how our little one interacts with and perceives the world around them. One of these areas of development is a baby's eyesight. After birth, an infant's vision changes significantly and rapidly. As parents, we need to stay aware of eyesight as our babies age, ensuring they aren't encountering any issues that may require professional intervention.

Infant Vision Development Stages

Here are the stages of development your baby's vision goes through in the first year: 

At Birth

When babies are born, their eyesight is still very rudimentary and undeveloped. Their eyes are extremely sensitive to light at this age, so you may notice their pupils appear reduced in size. This is the body's natural response to limit the amount of light entering the eye. Newborns are also still developing their central vision, so while they can see things next to them using their peripheral vision, things directly in front of them are much more difficult to perceive. High-contrast images are best for babies at this age, as they are more easily able to perceive black and white as opposed to color images.

After a few weeks of development, the eyes are adjusted to the presence of light, and the pupils begin to widen. Infants that are a few weeks old can see light and dark and pick up on patterns. They also develop the ability to pick up on bright colors during their first few weeks of life and train their focus to pick up on objects directly in front of them. 

2-3 Months 

During their first two months, your baby's eyes are still learning how to work together. So you may notice your little one's eyes appearing crossed or wandering off to the side. There's no need to worry if this happens from time to time, though if it becomes persistent and your baby's eyes are never uncrossed, speak with your child's pediatrician. At two months old, babies are typically able to track moving objects with their eyes as their visual coordination develops. Babies around two to three months may start reaching toward or batting at moving objects. They'll also be able to recognize commonly seen faces at this stage. 

4-6 Months 

By the time your little one reaches four months old, their eyesight has continued to strengthen, and they can now see objects farther away. Babies this age are developing their sense of depth, which parents can foster by encouraging play that involves reaching for brightly colored toys or other objects. 

Your little one's eyes should be working together all the time by six months old. They'll also have developed their true eye color by this age. Most babies are born with blue eyes. As they age, their body creates pigments, which can alter eye color, though colors are unlikely to change after six months. Six-month-olds can see the world in 3-D, with eyesight almost as developed as an adult's. 

7-12 months

By seven to eight months, your little one will be expressing interest in moving around and beginning to crawl. This helps to develop their hand-eye coordination. They are also better at properly judging distances, making grabbing objects around them easier. They're able to recognize familiar faces, even at a distance, can perceive objects they see through windows, and can even recognize well-known objects without seeing the entirety of the object. 

At nine months, babies begin pulling themselves up to standing positions and are usually able to judge distances accurately. Eyesight is fully developed, and hand-eye coordination is the new focus for babies over nine months. 

By one year of age, your baby should be starting to walk, and they should be able to grab and throw objects with precision. They'll continue to learn how their eyesight works while their body is moving as they learn to walk. 

Ensuring Vision Develops Properly

Issues with vision have the potential to delay a child's development, so identifying problems and addressing them early on is important. Your little one will be going to regular pediatrician visits during their first year, but keeping a close watch at home is important, too. Look for issues like delays in tracking moving objects, constantly crossed or out-turned eyes, differently sized pupils, and behaviors like head tilting or closing one eye when looking at objects. If you notice any of these characteristics, bring them up with your pediatrician so they can screen your little one for any visual problems. Parents can also encourage proper visual development by doing age-appropriate activities with their babies that are designed to stimulate the eyes, like using high-contrast cards for infants created by Curious Baby Cards.