At birth a baby’s retina is not fully developed; a newborn retina can only detect EXTREME contrasts between light and dark, or black and white. High-contrast, black and white images with sharp outlines are much easier for baby to see in the first few months of life while eyesight is still developing. With everything appearing a little out-of-focus it’s no surprise that your baby will be completely absorbed when a book of black and white images is put in front of them.
Why is visual stimulation important for a baby’s development?
Babies are not born knowing how to see. They have to learn to ‘see’ just as they have to learn how to walk and talk. The eyes must learn to work together and also how to focus. Messages and pathways from the eye to the brain will form over time depending on the baby’s visual experiences. Repeated use of black and white imagery will help grow these pathways and stimulate development of the optic nerve.
“Anything with very obvious contrast – such as black and white edges and lines – is an optimal stimulant for the visual system. This type of stimulation basically gets the system up and running” – Professor Usha Goswami, director of the Centre for Neuroscience in Education at Cambridge University.
Sensory stimulation is vital for developing sensory pathways in the brain and to promote normal development. When we are born we have billions of neurons which are not fully connected at birth. Our brains need to build synapses to connect these neurons and thus form pathways for messages to reach the brain (think of it like wiring). Research has shown that a newborn’s brain develops 2-3 million synapses every second! Connections between these synapses are strengthened through repeated positive activities and sensory experiences. If not used, the synapses may die out and lead to a phenomenon known as pruning. Sensory stimulation (visual, sound, touch, smell) also helps the child learn about the world, as well as communicate and form attachments to other people. Failing to provide children with adequate sensory stimulation puts them at a high risk of developmental and cognitive delays.
A baby’s eyesight will continue to develop over the first 6 months – use of our specially designed black and white, and high-contrast books, will help to nurture that development by helping , while also providing much-needed entertainment and stimulation for your baby.
What makes our black and white books better than other high-contrast books on the market? Our images have been designed specifically for newborn vision. We include no unnescessary detail; the graphics are optimised for developing eyes that can’t see fine lines or small detail. Baby will be completely mesmerised by the bold patterns and shapes. We are yet to come across a baby that hasn’t loved staring at our books!
See our ‘Baby Vision Guide‘ for a month-by-month guide to infant visual development.
High-contrast books are top of the list of recommended books for babies on the Raising Children website.