How much can a 2 month old see

Your 2-month-old is growing fast and becoming more alert. They will be making more sounds and getting more skilled at moving their body. They will still be crying a lot - but you've probably already seen that magic first smile (usually at 6 weeks) which somehow makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Table of Contents Show

What can your baby do?
How can I help my baby develop?
Development problem signs
Where can I go for help?
Birth to One Month of Age
Two Months to Three Months
Four Months
Seven Months to Twelve Months
When to Call the Doctor
What is a baby's vision at 2 months?
How far away can a 2
Can a baby see good at 2 months?

By 2 months, your baby will have put on a lot of weight and may be looking round and chubby. As their muscles develop, their arms and legs start to move more freely, stretching out to make them seem taller and leaner.

During their first 2 months, your baby is growing very quickly. They will keep growing at this rate, probably gaining about 900g and growing 2.5 cm to 3.8 cm every month.

Babies often have a growth spurt at about 6 weeks. This might make them more fussy because they want to eat more than usual. It might feel like you’re feeding all the time, especially at certain times of the day. You can sometimes tell your baby is hungry if they’re sticking their tongue out or sucking. If they doze off or turn their head away, they’re probably full.

At 6 to 8 weeks, your baby will have their scheduled vaccinations - 2 injections and the oral rotavirus vaccine.

Understanding baby growth charts

A growth chart helps you and your doctor keep track of how your baby is growing.

Read moreUnderstanding baby growth charts

What can your baby do?

By 2 months your baby will have discovered their fingers and hands. They will hold their hands open and grab an object (although they don’t know how to let go yet!) They might also clasp both hands together.

2-month-old babies will start to learn how to coordinate their movements. Instead of the jerky arm and leg movements that made when they were born, they can move more smoothly and in more of a circular motion. They will kick both legs strongly and will be very wriggly. They may even roll over, so don’t ever leave them alone on a change table.

Their neck will be getting stronger all the time. During tummy time they might be lifting their head and moving it from side to side. Some babies can even lift their chest off the ground by now.

Some (though very few) babies can sleep through the night by the time they reach 2 months. But even if you’re not one of the lucky parents or carers, your baby will at least be sleeping for longer stretches at a time. They’ll probably be having 2 to 4 long sleeps and will be more awake and alert during the day — although babies’ sleep patterns still vary widely at this age.

Your baby’s eyes, which may have been crossed when they were younger, move together most of the time now. They will clearly recognise you, will look at you when you talk to them, and can follow you with their eyes. They will love looking at your face and will be giving you some lovely smiles. They will like looking at objects with more complex patterns and colours.

They will also be making a lot more sounds and gurgling, including sounds like ‘a’ or ‘o’, and they will seem to listen to you and talk back to you.

How can I help my baby develop?

As your baby develops more of a rhythm, you’ll find they are awake more during the day. This gives you more time to interact with them and help them develop. Spend plenty of time reading to them, singing, and talking. That way they’ll get used to sounds and words and will start to develop language and communication skills.

You can play with them by letting them look at and feel a variety of objects with different designs, colours, and shapes. Plastic toys and soft balls work well.

They will love looking at you, so make sure you smile at them a lot. It releases ‘feel-good’ chemicals in your baby’s body and helps them to feel safe and secure. You could also give your baby a massage to relax them. After a bath is a good time.

Continue with 1 to 5 minutes tummy time to strengthen their neck and upper body. It will help them develop the muscles they’ll need later to sit and crawl. But always put your baby to sleep on their back.

Development problem signs

Babies develop at a different rate. At 2 months, talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if:

they aren’t smiling by 8 weeks
they don’t calm down, even for a little while, when you pick them up to comfort them
one side of their body seems to be stronger than the other
they’re still holding their fingers in a tight fist
sudden noises don’t startle them
they aren’t feeding properly
they’re floppy or stiff

Where can I go for help?

If you are worried or would like to discuss any issues with your baby’s development, speak to your doctor or child health nurse.

What does my baby see? This is a very common question for parents. This Helping Hand will describe what your baby sees from birth to one year of age, and how you can help your baby’s vision develop.

Birth to One Month of Age

At birth your baby sees only in black and white, and shades of gray. Nerve cells in the brain and retina of the eye are not fully developed. They also have trouble focusing, and are not very light-sensitive yet. Infants’ eyes are large compared to their bodies. When a baby is born, his or her eyes are about 65% of their adult size. One week after birth the baby can see colors and can see about 8-10 inches away. At six weeks of age baby can see about 12 inches away.

You can help your infant’s vision by holding and feeding him or her on each side, left and right (Picture 1). Place your baby in the crib facing different ways to see different views. Put up a mobile so your baby can watch it.

Two Months to Three Months

Your baby should be following objects or “tracking” and should start reaching for things. The baby recognizes your face, and remembers what he or she sees.

You can help your baby’s vision by using a mobile, or holding up bright objects in front of her for the baby to reach for. Your face is one of her favorite things to look at.

For the first two months of life an infant’s eyes are not well coordinated, and may cross or wander. This will usually go away, but if it continues, or if an eye is constantly turned in or out, the baby should be seen by a doctor.

Four Months

Vision is clear, and your baby can now see farther away. He or she still prefers looking at you close up and should be awake often. Encourage play time, and reaching for bright objects and toys.

Six Months

Your baby’s eyes should be working together all the time. Your baby sees colors like adults do. Play peek-a-boo, and use mirrors to help develop vision.

Seven Months to Twelve Months

Your baby is now moving around more. He or she is better at judging distances and more accurate at grasping objects. Babies are learning to coordinate their vision with their body movements. The color of the eyes may change. Many babies are born with blue eyes. Over time dark pigment is produced which can make the baby’s eyes darker.

You can help your baby’s vision by talking to him or her a lot. Place objects in front of the baby and say the name of the object as you hand it to him or her. Encourage your baby to crawl or walk to toys (Picture 2).

When to Call the Doctor

All infants should have regular checkups with their doctor, who can screen for problems.

Premature infants are at high risk for vision issues. All premature infants should be seen by a pediatric ophthalmologist by age 3.

If you see any of the following, call your baby’s doctor:

Eyes that do not work together
Eyes that have a lot of tearing or crusting
Baby turns or tilts head to one side or closes one eye most of the time.
Anytime you are concerned about your baby’s eyes or vision, or if the baby’s regular doctor is concerned

If there are any problems with your baby’s vision, it is much better to find them early. The earlier problems are found, the earlier they can be taken care of.

Can a 2

Babies begin to perceive colors more and more between 2 and 4 months old. To start, they're able to tell the difference between shades of greens and reds. The exact timing for when your baby will see these colors is individual, so there's no set week or month when it happens for all babies universally.

What is a baby's vision at 2 months?

How far can babies see at 2 months old? By 2 months old, your baby will still be nearsighted, but their eyes will be more coordinated. They will also be able to focus more clearly, and soon may even start tracking objects with their eyes.

How far away can a 2

Your 2-month-old can see people and objects as far as 18 inches away. They may even be able to follow your movements when you're close by. Color differences are becoming clearer to your baby, and they'll start to distinguish shades such as red and yellow.

Can a baby see good at 2 months?

Birth to 4 months While they may look intently at a highly contrasted target, babies have not yet developed the ability to easily tell the difference between two targets or move their eyes between the two images. Their primary focus is on objects 8 to 10 inches from their face or the distance to the parent's face.