Baby Vision

Fact or Fable: Newborns See in Black and White

Fable. Your brand-new baby can see color variation, as long as it's up close (within eight to ten inches), explains Arlene Drack, M.D., chief of pediatric ophthalmology at the Children's Hospital in Denver. Before 3 months of age, a baby likely can't distinguish between pastels, but he will respond to contrasting colors; hence, the idea behind all those black, white, and red toys