Mummy and Me Magazine August 2014 September 2014 | Page 12
Birth & Beyond
What can my baby see?...
Information on what to expect from your baby’s first blinks
to their school education.
Your baby’s eyesight - WHAT TO EXPECT
F
rom those adorable first blinks after delivery,
your baby’s eyesight undergoes a rapid
development. At birth, your baby sees only
black and white, with some shades of grey, and as
time goes by their colour vision will develop. There
are many products on the market from books
to sensory toys that offer bold black and white
patterns for exactly this reason!
You may notice that your baby’s eyes occasionally
roll and sometimes away from each other. This
is absolutely normal, however if you have any
concerns or they begin to squint a lot then you
should discuss this with your Health Visitor,
Midwife or GP. If necessary they can then refer you
to an Orthoptist or Ophthalmologist (specialists in
patterns in books and
Babies who are born
on toys are great
prematurely are more
stimulation!
likely to have problems with
their hearing and eyesight. A
common problem is a condition
called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). This is
a condition associated with the excessive oxygen
during early weeks of a premature baby’s life. A
full term baby has oxygen carefully regulated by
the placenta helping to develop the retina (light
sensitive lining of the eye). When a baby is born
prematurely, it is hard to regulate the level of
oxygen they receive. Babies born at less than 32
weeks gestation are most at risk. You can find
more information at
www.ropard.org
(Retinal Research for Children and Adults).
Photography courses
for Mums and Dads...
Learn how to take fantastic
photos of your children. Come on
one of our half day workshops or
book a one to one lesson.
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tips and inspiration.
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12 |
children’s eyes). All babies
Something
will have their eyes
checked at birth and then
to consider...
at around 6 weeks of
Newborns see in Black
age.
and White so contrasting
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At birth, babies may not be able to focus their
vision. Again, this is a skill that they develop as
time progresses over the first few months of their
life. At around 2 weeks of age you should be able
to notice your baby following y