Book contents
- The Cambridge Handbook of Infant Development
- The Cambridge Handbook of Infant Development
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Foundations
- Part II Perceptual Development
- 6 Visual Development
- 7 Infant Visual Attention
- 8 Infants’ Perception of Auditory Patterns
- 9 The Development of Touch Perception and Body Representation
- 10 The Development of Infant Feeding
- 11 The Development of Multisensory Attention Skills
- Part III Cognitive Development
- Part IV Action
- Part V Language
- Part VI Emotional and Social Development
- Index
- References
6 - Visual Development
from Part II - Perceptual Development
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 September 2020
- The Cambridge Handbook of Infant Development
- The Cambridge Handbook of Infant Development
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Foundations
- Part II Perceptual Development
- 6 Visual Development
- 7 Infant Visual Attention
- 8 Infants’ Perception of Auditory Patterns
- 9 The Development of Touch Perception and Body Representation
- 10 The Development of Infant Feeding
- 11 The Development of Multisensory Attention Skills
- Part III Cognitive Development
- Part IV Action
- Part V Language
- Part VI Emotional and Social Development
- Index
- References
Summary
Newborns can see – but only if they are awake with an object right in front of them that is large with elements of high contrast against the background, like the mother’s face. Improvements come rapidly after birth with the maturation of the retina and the visual cortex to which it connects, allowing better input to higher visual areas that underlie the perception of whole objects and their movement. Nevertheless, missing visual input near birth because of dense cataracts in one or both eyes alters the developmental trajectory, even when treatment occurs within the first few months of life. Thus, the early visual input, despite its limitations, is critical for setting up the neural architecture for later refinement.
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- Information
- The Cambridge Handbook of Infant DevelopmentBrain, Behavior, and Cultural Context, pp. 157 - 185Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020
References
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