How Well Can New Babies See?

"Look Dear, she is looking at me!"... "It must be that pink blouse. That seems to be her favorite color." The days after the birth of a newborn are generally filled with comments similar to these. We intuitively know by watching the babies reactions, or lack of reactions, that our baby's eyesight is not completely clear. Some bystanders will chime in, "Come on! Seriously... The baby's vision is blurred until they are six months old." This has been the conventional wisdom for many years based partly on a general lack of guidance from the medical experts. To a great extent, the majority of folks still subscribe to the opinion of William James, the great 19th century philosopher and psychologist, who argued that an infant's visual world amounted to a "booming, buzzing, confusion." But, we want to interact and bond with baby. So we hope and wonder how well our little one can see our faces and the wonderful profusion of colorful baubles that we surround them with. I will admit, you could not have convinced me that Olivia wasn't transfixed by my face when I softly spoke her name.

So what can an infant see? The answer to this question lies in the answer to two other related questions. 1) How far can the baby see? and 2) How clearly can the baby see? I did some research on these two questions and though there are a lot of varying opinions, even amongst experts, there is a general consensus that provides a reasonable response.

Let's consider the first question. How far can my baby see?

Generally, experts agree that newborns are short-sighted. They are pretty good at following the movement of highly contrasting objects that are no more than 7-12" away. Actually, their little eyes have all of the functionality and optical parts needed to focus perfectly on objects at any distance. However, the ability to control their focus is still in development. Let me explain.

The eye is able to focus on an image because tiny muscles called ciliary muscles change the eyes shape making it longer or shorter as needed. A good analogy is the way a camera lens lengthens or shortens to convey a sharply focused image onto film when we take a picture. An infant's eyes are perfectly capable as a lens at birth. It is the coordination of these ciliary muscles that is still in need of refining. Since these muscles are still developing and lacking a bit in coordination, the baby's eyes may either focus too close (in front of an object) or too far (behind an object). Now for the next question.

How clearly can the baby see?

We have already discussed that focusing, and more importantly accurately focusing, can be a challenge for young babies. The other factor that determines how clearly the baby will see is how well the brain processes the image. This is referred to as acuity. Images that pass into the eye are projected on the retina. The retina is a thin layer of neural cells that line the back of the eyeball. The retina is still incompletely developed in infants. For this reason, even though the optic components of the eyeball itself are capable of producing images in sharp focus onto it's surface, the retina and the neural pathways that are used to carry the images are immature and do not convey a clear image to the brain. This limits how clearly an infant can resolve the images the eye receives.

So how fuzzy is an infants vision? Most experts agree that in the first month of life, a baby can achieve visual acuity of about 20/120. In simpler terms, if babies could read, they would be able to read the big "E" at the top of a standard eye chart. Fortunately, this situation quickly improves. By 4 months of age, acuity has improved to 20/60 and by 8 months the babies nervous system has matured enough to improve acuity to 20/30.

So what's the bottom line? Babies have a real challenge in their early months focusing on objects. Especially those that are not viewed up close. However, a newborn infant can easily see many of the things that are most important to them and you. Hold them close in your arms and they will certainly be able to make out your eyes, lips and nose. They will also be fascinated by their own hands, fingers, feet and toes. And come to think of it, those are the very things we will be focusing on also.

Finally, what can I do to promote proper development of my baby's vision?

Check out the following links for facts about your infant's vision as well as things you can do to insure your baby has the appropriate level of visual stimulation:

http://www.ski.org/Vision/babyvision.html?id=10

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/119/113496.htm

http://www.allaboutvision.com/parents/infants.htm

You probably have seen those black and white mobiles and toys that are being touted as "visually stimulating" to your baby. Are these items really more beneficial than other designs? We will discuss what we found in another post. So stay tuned.

Developmental Milestones

Livi found her feet this week. We are thrilled! It's the kind of subtle milestone that only a new parent can truly appreciate. Of course, changing time has become a real wrestling match since now she immediately goes for the feet as soon as they are exposed.

Every parent frets or brags to some degree or another about the development of their baby. The timeline associated with big events like, first words, first steps, or getting a full-time job are pretty easy to evaluate. They happen sooner or later for each child and because of the huge developmental significance each one represents most parents intuitively realize that there will be a fair amount of variation from one child to another in when they are reached. Of course, if the job thing isn't fairly well in hand by year 21, it may represent a valid concern.

It is in the earliest stages of a new baby's life that parents scrutinize every move or sound in an effort to comfort ourselves that their pride and joy is not suffering from some kind of developmental problems. We are very proud of Olivia's quick development. But, it is most important for all parents to avoid over-agonizing about what others may say, or what they might initially suspect is a developmental problem. What should you expect in a general sense as your baby progresses through their first few months? The following links will provide some credible and balanced guidance:

http://www.babycenter.com/general/baby/babydevelopment/6476.html

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/298_10203.asp

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/infant_milestones/page2_em.htm

http://www.yourbabytoday.com/heronline/newbaby/newbaby_pediatrics/ped_milestones.html

If you know of other links that are informative on this topic, please feel free to include them in a comment to this post.

What can you do to insure that your baby has the greatest opportunity to progress? The following are suggestions made in a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

* Talk to your baby. It is soothing to hear your voice.

* When your baby makes sounds, answer him by repeating and adding words. This will help him learn to use language.

* Read to your baby. This helps her develop and understand language and sounds.

* Sing to your baby.

* Play music. This helps your baby develop a love for music and math.

* Praise your baby and give him lots of loving attention.

* Spend time cuddling and holding your baby. This helps her feel cared for and secure.

* The best time to play with your baby is when he’s alert and relaxed. Watch your baby closely for signs of being tired or fussy so that you can take a break.

* Parenting can be hard work! Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is easier to enjoy your new baby and be a positive, loving parent when you are feeling good yourself.

In all cases, if you feel that your baby has a developmental difficulty it is important to speak to your pediatrician. But, realize that in most cases, everything is just fine.

What else can we do as parents to help insure that our baby has the best chance to develop at their optimum pace? We will share what we found in a future post.

Protecting Baby From Sun

Are you a new parent? Congratulations! So are we. Our little Olivia is just four months old and already we are astounded at how much the experience has taught us. Whoever said that "experience is the best teacher" must have had a lot of stressful moments and sleepless nights while school was in session. Of course, like you, we embrace this journey and relish each enlightening moment.

But, honestly, whenever someone takes the initiative to share a valuable tip or resource that makes raising Olivia easier or a more fulfilling experience, we really appreciate it. That is the purpose of our Blog. Sharing tips and information that we are learning from experience, found on the net, or that has been shared with us by a knowledgeable benefactor. Whether it be a better, gentler way to get baby's boogies out, or a valuable piece of info related to new products, we want to share it with you... So let's get started.

Erin, David, and I love the outdoors. We love to go picnicking, to the beach, and camping. So when Olivia was born we definitely wanted to initiate her to those kinds of activities as soon as possible. One of the things we worried about was how to keep the creepy crawlers away from our new bundle of joy. We also knew that it was important to protect her skin from the effects of overexposure to the sun. Of course, we knew we could not use any harsh sunblocks or bug repellant creams or sprays on her delicate new skin.

We found our solution in a product called the "Baby Cabana". The baby cabana has an SPF rating of 50+, which means Olivia's skin is well protected from the harsh effects of being out in the sun. It has openings on the sides to allow breezes to pass through and we find that it stays quite cool inside even at the beach when it is very warm and sunny. The door zips open wide to make it easy to move Olivia in or out even while still in her carrier. The cabana is so roomy that Erin has found it relatively easy to get inside it with Livi and even breast feed her while we are at the beach.

And talk about being easy to set up or take down! The entire frame is hinged and can be opened with a pull of one string. Once you are ready to go, just pull the same string while popping a couple of hinged joints and it collapses with ease and stores away in its own bag with very little effort. The Baby Cabana protects Olivia from wind, bugs, even curious pets, too! The side pockets hold sand to secure against the wind. Our cabana measures 42 1/2"H x 47W" x 47D".

How much can you expect to pay? Figure on spending between $35-$50. Where can you get your own baby cabana? Try any of the following links:

http://www.sunfriendlyproducts.com/cgi-bin/cart/items.cgi?category=Shadeproducts

http://dreamtimebaby.com/sunstopkwikc.html

http://www.safebeginnings.com/WebComponents/Catalog/Public/showproduct.asp?frg=FRG&id=423

http://www.kidsurplus.com/kelgar.html?gclid=CLak66e27YcCFRJWUAoddEM2iA

http://tinkertots.stores.yahoo.net/sunstkwcai.html

The Baby Cabana gets two thumbs up from our family. We think you will enjoy it too.

Do you have other solutions for protecting your baby from the harsh effects of sun exposure? Let us know about it in a comment.

Who Are We?

Who are we? The more important question is, "Why should I care?" Okay, it is time to reveal our "not really so" secret identity. The big secret:...We are you. Well, actually we are us. But, our experiences are likely very similar to that of many of you. We are new parents. Olivia Marie came into our lives four months ago and we are terrified and thrilled.

Actually, our story is rather complex and not altogether "picture perfect". But, then again, whose is? I am divorced and have a fifteen year old son named David... Erin was never married before this. You will likely discern a lot about the nature of our personal history if you continue to frequent our blog. Erin and I will both be posting to our blog, so you will get to know us both to some extent through our individual writing styles. I won't reveal any more about our personal history for now though. You will have to figure the rest out!

There are essentially two reasons we are blogging:

1) The primary one is that we just love to write about our experiences (Both of us). It's not so much that we believe that we are enlightened or that what we have to say is so profound that you will be compelled to trust our opinion. It is more that we find that we are better able to savor, learn from, and deal with our personal experiences if we put them to word. The act of putting experiences to print promotes introspection... It is a reality check. We react, right or wrong, to all new situations just as you do. But, afterward we have resolved to take a moment to meditate on what has happened, talk about it, do some research, and use that research to make informed plans. Not that our plans are always successful. But, we strive to learn and act on fact, and it seems to serve us well.

2) The other reason we are blogging... PROMOTION.. Plain and simple. Erin and I have an Internet babywear store. Ever heard of Cafepress? Cafepress provides you a relatively complication free environment in which to use your creative juices to design products and make money. Erin and I spent a lot of time at the major babywear retailers looking for cool or unique onesies, bibs, and t-shirts for our daughter Olivia. We have a complex, slightly off-center sense of humor and wanted to find babywear that conveyed that. Guess what... couldn't find it. So we created our own store. We called it Rare Air Designs. The term "rare air" comes from my personal passion for mountain climbing. I will explain the connection in a posting at a later date.

Admittedly, you can look at our situation and think, "Why would I listen to these folk's opinion on anything?" Fair enough... Our opinion is not particulary valuable. We are NOT medical practictioners and we do not claim to have vast amounts of experience on many of the topics we will write about. But, if we are in reality you, and we have been through what you are going through, why not trust you? Think about it.

What I will assure you... We won't waste your time. If it was important to us as new parents, we will share it with you as new parents. If a post adds nothing to your experience as a parent, the next one very well may.