When do babies see colors

Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Page Content. A baby's vision develops quickly during the first year of life. Additional Information from HealthyChildren. The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician.

There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Follow Us. Back to Top. Formula Feeding. Young Adult. The short answer: Not much — but that will change, and fast. While it does, enjoy seeing baby take it all in as she reaches a few key milestones in visual development.

While many infant vision problems are only detectable by a pediatrician or an ophthalmologist, you can take a few steps to ensure early intervention on any potential issues:.

If your doctor does notice any potential issues, he may refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.

Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.

This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. When it remained constant for example, a lighter green to a darker green , the activity level was steady. That takes a while, said Boente. Until kids can communicate what colors they are identifying, it may be difficult to even know that a child cannot distinguish or even see colors, since the child perceives this as their normal," she said.

Boente says that there are many "anatomical and physiological factors" involved in a baby's developing visual system. Know that you don't need to buy any special flashcards or gadgets. To stimulate cognitive development, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends activities like taking a walk and pointing out unfamiliar objects, having fun imitating your baby's facial expressions or looking at books together, which encourages interaction. Babies especially love books that show faces, and there's science behind this: A study at Stanford University shows that unlike with basic objects, babies can process human faces using adult-like levels of brain activity, and may develop face-recognition skills earlier.

According to Boente, "Your child's pediatrician can evaluate age-appropriate vision milestones," and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following eye exam schedule for babies. If concerns are spotted, your doctor will refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist.