Baby's developing sight
Don’t keep the same toys or pictures in his cot. Change them around every now and then, to give him something new and interesting to look at. What is important is that you don’t over-stimulate your baby. When your baby appears tired or has been focusing on brightly coloured objects for a while, give him a break. It’s exhausting work, learning how to see properly.
As your baby grows older
As your baby grows older, so his eye muscles will strengthen and he’ll be able to see further and more clearly. But three weeks, he’ll squirm about excitedly when he sees your face. By 8 weeks, he’ll be able to see your face clearly and smile when he recognises you. He’ll love looking at brightly coloured toys, pictures of other babies, or even his own reflection in a mirror.
Encourage your child’s sense of sight, by trailing a brightly coloured toy in an arc, in front of his face. Watch as he catches a glimpse of the toy and follows it. There are also many baby-gyms that encourage your baby’s sight. Place him on a padded blanket on the floor and place the gym over his body. He’ll love looking at the dangling toys above his head.
When he’s lying on his tummy, place a toy in front of him. This will encourage him to lift his head up to see the toy.
While buying various little baby gadgets will help your baby develop his sense of sight, there’s nothing better than holding your baby over your shoulder and going for a walk, to allow him to look at his natural environment.
When you should be concerned
Your baby’s sight will continue to develop every month. But if, at any stage you’re concerned about your baby’s vision, it’s important that you speak to your doctor. Your baby is likely to be squint for several weeks. If by the sixth month, he’s still squinting or if the problem has become progressively worse, have his eyes checked out.
If your baby has weak eye muscles, he’ll turn his head to see objects properly. Make sure that when he’s looking at an object that both eyelids are at the same level. Colour blindness is very often a genetic condition. Children, and most especially boys, can often not distinguish between red and green. There’s not much that can be done to remedy this. Instead, it is something that your child will have to learn to live with as he grows older.
Resources: Complete baby and childcare by Dr Miriam Stoppard
