At 2 months old, babies primarily see objects that are about 8 to 12 inches away from their face, which is roughly the distance to a parent's face when being held. Their vision is still developing, and they are nearsighted at this stage, meaning they see best at close range
. By around 2 months, babies begin to improve their eye coordination and can start to follow moving objects with their eyes. They also begin to recognize familiar faces and may start reaching for objects, indicating developing hand- eye coordination
. However, their ability to see objects clearly at farther distances is still limited. They cannot focus well beyond this close range yet because their eye muscles and visual system are still maturing. It is typically around 3 to 4 months that babies start to see farther and develop better depth perception and binocular vision
. In summary:
- At 2 months, babies see best at about 8 to 12 inches away.
- They are nearsighted and have limited focus beyond this range.
- Their eye coordination and ability to track objects are improving.
- Recognition of faces and reaching for objects begins.
- Vision continues to improve significantly after 3 months.
This close-range vision supports bonding, as babies can clearly see their caregiver’s face during feeding and cuddling
