Have you ever thought about how a newborn perceives the world? A recent study from Stockholm reveals that babies just a few days old can indeed see your facial expressions—provided you’re close enough! At a distance of about 30 centimeters, which is roughly the space between a nursing mom’s face and her little one, babies can clearly recognize faces. However, if you step back to about 60 centimeters, everything becomes a fuzzy blur.
“It’s crucial to note that our research focuses on what newborns can actually see, not on whether they understand it,” explains researcher Alex Johnson from the Institute of Child Psychology. To delve deeper into this, researchers employed moving images, building on earlier studies that primarily used still photos. “Past attempts to gauge a newborn’s vision relied heavily on static images,” Johnson adds. “But the world is full of movement, so we decided to use dynamic visuals.”
In earlier studies, researchers used black and white striped figures to determine the contrast and resolution needed for infants to focus on an image. Now, we can confirm that when you’re peering down at your baby, they can see that “surprised” look on your face, though interpreting its meaning is a different story altogether.
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In summary, research indicates that newborns can see your facial expressions when they’re close, adding a new layer to how we connect with our little ones right from the start.
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