Contrary to popular belief, babies aren’t born seeing only in black and white – their colour vision is limited, though. Newborns can detect some intense colours, especially red, but it’s as though the saturation dial is turned down. This is because the eyes’ cone cells, which detect colour, aren’t fully mature at birth.
Over their first few months, babies gradually refine their colour vision. By approximately two months old they can distinguish red and green, and by four months old their colour perception is much more like an adults, although colours may not be quite as vivid.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Maxine Gilmore, Sheffield) ‘Do babies only see in black and white for the first month?’
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