Is your baby intrigued by lights, and you can’t stop wondering why do babies stare at light?
More often, you will find your little one gazing at objects. Most parents always wonder what is going on behind their little brains.
However, it gets concerning when the baby cannot take their eyes off light bulbs in the house.
What does it mean? Will this affect their visions? Should you be worried as a parent?
Parental Questions is here to answer all your questions:
Why Do Babies Stare At Light
1. The baby is intrigued by the light
Luckily, you do not have to be worried about your little one staring at light. The thing is, babies are still developing.
Studies show that as newborns, they still do not have fully developed vision.
Due to this, anything in motion and with contrast, from ceiling fans to other movements and lights, is of great fascination.
So, yes, they can still see after birth. However, they do not have the focus mechanism of a grown-up or fully developed visual system.
By the time your baby is about 6 – 8 weeks old, their vision is developing.
This is when you realize your little one cannot take their eyes off you, your partner, and people instead of staring at inanimate objects.
While this is normal during the baby’s development stage, you must keep an eye on it.
Experts recommend that you seek medical advice if this behavior persists past your baby’s third or fourth month after birth.
2. The baby wants to have control
Light is the first element that the baby perceives in the environment visually.
Before developing visual acuity, the baby can only detect whether light is present or not.
The light thus becomes an integral part of the baby’s world, whether it’s coming from natural sources or the house lighting.
You might have noticed that the baby is likely to cry once you switch off the lights or cover its eyes to block the environmental light.
Light brings a sense of safety to the baby and serves as an essential connection to the world.
Like demanding their toys and objects later in development, babies require control over things they know.
Therefore, your baby’s obsession with light simply demands control over light, which is something they know and value at the point of development.
Just give them light, and as they get to see the environment, their obsession will shift to something else.
Learn more from a related post: Why Do Babies Flap Their Arms
3. Does your baby fear light?
Just like other children and adults, the baby is too afraid of the dark.
Dark brings about a lot of uncertainty and threat, such that when the child wakes up in a dark room, they are most likely to start crying.
On the other hand, light is their friend since it provides a sense of comfort and assures the child that they are safe, and in case of danger, they can easily see it coming.
You will notice that the baby tends to be happier and more relaxed when the lights are turned on, just like everyone else feels.
Babies understand that darkness too robs them of the gift of a beautiful environment since they can no longer perceive any objects, patterns, or even people.
Therefore, babies must make you know that they need their light back!
4. It could be a sign of autism
We have agreed that babies love lights, and it’s okay for them to stare. However, as your child grows, their eyes become more sensitive to light.
Therefore, you should see them diversify their staring to other objects in the environment.
If the child only stares at the light and nothing else, this can signify that they are autistic and require further tests and diagnosis by a medical professional.
However, before you conclude that your baby is autistic, note that autism has its symptoms beginning at birth. Thus light-gazing alone does not show autism.
If you find yourself staring at your little one and questioning why do babies start at light, you should probably not worry much.
Most often, the light and other moving objects are interesting as their vision develops.
However, consider seeking medical attention if this persists as they grow and are probably 8 months old and above.
Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.