The internet is home to many strange and fascinating things, and the latest addition is a simulation video that showcases what infants perceive when they are born.
Given this video, it is hardly surprising that babies often appear both startled and overwhelmed.
Along with cute cat images, an abundance of recipes, and countless TikTok dance trends, the internet also excels as an educational resource.
WebMD, the go-to site for self-diagnosis when you experience minor ailments, has produced a video detailing the developmental timeline of an infant’s vision.
“Wondering how babies see the world? Infant sight develops at different rates… newborns can spot things that are right beside them with their side vision.”
The video explains that newborns have underdeveloped central vision, resulting in a very blurry image of their parents.
At around two weeks, infants begin to distinguish between light and dark shapes, and they may be drawn to vibrant colors.
By the one-month mark, they can briefly focus on their mother or father.
It typically takes until the age of five to eight months for babies to visually recognize their parents and begin to understand depth.
Their depth perception begins to develop more fully between nine and twelve months.
Many viewers were taken aback by how limited a newborn’s vision is.
“As a former full time baby, this is true,” joked one.
Another commenter wrote: “No wonder why they’re freaking out. They just see big shadows in front of them the whole time.”
“Poor little ones, I just thought that they were fighting for attention!” wrote another.
One viewer noted: “Interesting! No wonder my baby sister was so still as an infant. I remembered her eyes being half shut for a couple of months. Then one day, she opened them wide!”
“My kid was one month old and I used to show her birds. She never noticed. I thought she was disinterested, but then I learnt that she can’t even see them,” added one parent.
However, some disagreed: “Babies recognize parents wayyyyy before 5 months, from my experiences knowing people.”
“I’m sure my baby can see more than this!!” insisted one mom.
“My little one definitely recognised faces earlier,” said another, with one agreeing: “My niece at 4-5 months could recognise us easily.”
Some criticized ‘beige’ parents for avoiding bright colors in their homes due to aesthetic preferences, pointing out that vivid hues are essential for a baby’s development.