At birth, the sense that is least developed is vision. Newborns are born with their eyesight not fully matured, as their eyes and brains are still developing. While they can see some light and shapes, their ability to focus on objects and perceive colors is limited. Typically, they can best see objects that are about 8 to 12 inches away from their face, which is just the right distance for gazing at the faces of the people holding them.
This limitation gradually improves over the first year of life. By around 4 to 6 months, infants start to see more clearly and are able to track moving objects. Their color vision also begins to develop, and by the time they reach one year old, their vision is much closer to that of an adult.
The other senses – such as hearing, taste, touch, and smell – are more developed at birth. For example, babies can recognize their mother’s voice and exhibit preferences for certain tastes, suggesting that these senses are ready to engage with the world immediately upon birth.