Conference moira::parenting_v3

    The child development magazine I got when David was born last fall
    had a rather long article about the latest discoveries about
    newborns.  I think it said recent research had disproved the
    don't-see-in-color theory -- I will see if I can find it over the
    weekend.  
    
    However, a newborn can't see very far -- the muscles of the eyes
    haven't learned to adjust the focus for distance -- and doesn't
    have the mental experience yet to discriminate the shapes.  So
    something with very high contrast and sharp edges is much easier
    for them to see and hence much more interesting.  
    
    --bonnie

    Stuart,
    
    Infants may have all the physical things needed in their eyes but
    infants don't have very clear vision. That is why current theories are
    that baby's rooms shouldn't be those soft pastel colors but primary
    colors to help sharpen their vision. I think they come into
    color around 2-3 months. I remember the day my son must have suddenly
    "seen" colors - he just sat a stared at everything for a long time 
    (kind of like Dorthy landing in OZ). Correct me if I'm wrong, folks.
    
    Maybe it isn't so much color distinction but clarity and devloping the
    range of colors that takes time. That's why a mobile like the
    Stim-Mobile is enjoyed by infants because it is very clear for them
    and primary colors are far more distinguisable they soft pastels which
    probably blend into shade of white. Don't forget the baby just spent 9
    months with nothing to look at and with fluid surrounding their eyes.
    I must take some time to come into focus. Think of how many animals are
    either born with eyes closed or with very blurred vision. 
    
    Andrea 

    My wife is an occupational therapist, and has done extensive
    reading/learning on early childhood. From her....
    Infants have all the necessary faculties to see color, but cannot see
    them clearly for some time (around the 4th month). Compare this to
    newborns having all the muscles they need when they are born, but it
    takes maturation of brain and nervous system, as well as plain old
    practice, to be able to use them in a functional way. Infants see black
    and white best simply because of the high degree of contrast...not
    because its not color. They can, to some degree, distinguish bright
    primary colors from black and white, but pastel colors appear "muddy"
    to them, and sort of all blend....they appear to show no
    discrimination. 
    As the child's vision matures...which is due primarily to brain and
    central nervous system maturation....he is then able to be more
    discriminatory toward color and will begin to "notice" them (as re. -1
    indicated). He will still like the black and white patterns, but will
    not be as strong in his preference of them over anything else.
    That's it in a large nutshell! Did it clear things up or make it
    more confusing?
    
    --dave--

    That's much better ... basically it's the discrimination rather than
    seeing in colour ...
    
    We have the same thing as adults ... show someone a swatch of turquoise
    and some will call it turquoise, some bluish green and others greenish
    blue.
    
    There was an interesting program a coulpe months ago on Nova about
    colour and showed that while you could put a coloured filter in
    front of a picture, you could still identify and distinguish most
    of the colours in the picture.  Apparently there are contrast
    distinctions that help determine colour.  You could take 
    monochrome pictures and determine colours ... it was weird ...
    I cannot remember all the details unfortunately.
    
    Stuart

    Over 20 years ago there was an article in Scientific American
    on vision in infants. They showed that new borns would follow
    a bright red ball with their peripheral vision.

    Bonnie

    I have a question - excuse me if I sound dumb.  A lot of folks say
    to decorate an infants room with the primary colors for vision reasons.
    I decorated my 1st and 2nd daughters rooms with the pastel colors.
    Does this mean that their vision will not be as good compared to
    a childs room that is decorated with the primary colors?  I've never
    been told otherwise, but after reading this note am starting to
    wonder.  My daughter had her first eye examination last year (what
    a terrible time) and they didn't say there were any problems.  She
    just kept getting the animals mixed up.
    
    If anyone has any insight, please share.
    
    Thanks,
    Denise

>    Does this mean that their vision will not be as good compared to
>    a childs room that is decorated with the primary colors? 
    
    No, Denise, it doesn't mean that at all.  It just means they might
    not have had as much interesting stuff (from their point of view)
    to look at in their cribs when they were real small.  
    
    --bonnie

    Thanks Bonnie.  Now I understand that when Khristina does see something
    really bright she goes coo-coo!  I do try to keep bright objects
    in her crib but she is more interested in looking at herself in
    the mirror :-)!
    
    Thanks,
    Denise

> I do try to keep bright objects
>    in her crib but she is more interested in looking at herself in
>    the mirror :-)!
    
    Well, isn't she the brightest object of all?
    
    Smart kid!
    
    --bonnie