At birth, sight is the least developed of the senses. Babies are nearsighted, and the world is pretty much out of focus. They focus best about eight inches from their noses, and can't see much beyond eighteen inches from their nose. Babies' vision develops at different rates, so your baby may have nearly normal vision by six months or it may take years.

In the beginning, babies prefer to look at faces — particularly their mother's face — more than anything else. So give your baby plenty of face time. Hold her on your lap and gaze at her; sit her in her chair and make faces at her. Here are some vision games you can play with your newborn:

• While baby toys are often brightly colored, infants enjoy black and white objects best in the first few months because the colors contrast so well. Look for mobiles and other toys that are black and white.

  Give her other things to look at as well, factoring in that critical eight-inch distance for the first two months or so. You've probably hung a mobile over the changing table and maybe another one over the crib. But babies would rather look at something new than something they've seen before, so change these mobiles regularly (simple cutout shapes or pictures from magazines are fine).

• Take your baby on a flying tour. Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computer Inc., has this great idea. You can do this as soon as your baby is strong enough to hold her head up on her own, while she's still light enough for you to carry easily on outstretched arms. Put one hand under her chest, fingers splayed wide so you can feel her muscles. Use the other hand to support her pelvis. Start near an interesting spot and hold your baby in the air, then try to sense which way her muscles are trying to tug her. It may take you a few minutes, but you'll begin to be able to tell which way she wants to go. (Resist the urge to take her to where you see her looking; let her muscles guide you instead.) For people who didn't believe babies have minds of their own, Woz has said that he used to do a trick — he'd have someone blindfold him, and throw a handkerchief on the floor. He'd then let the baby direct him to the handkerchief.

• Stock up on bubble soap. Bubbles move slowly, float in interesting patterns, and catch the light. They'll give your baby lots of eye-tracking practice early and develop her hand-eye coordination later on when she begins to try catching the bubbles.

• Use the mirrors in your house, or buy an unbreakable mirror for your baby to play with. Look in a mirror with your baby, make faces, and label your expression (happy, sad, angry). Encourage her to touch the baby in the mirror — one day she'll figure out that it's her and will be amazed. Act as a mirror for your baby. When she makes a face, you make the same face. She'll be thrilled with her new power!

Protecting Your Baby's Vision

Your baby may appear to be cross-eyed. Often it's just an illusion caused by the combination of the broad bridge of her nose and the folds near the inside corner of her eyes, making it look like her eyes are turning in. Sometimes your baby's eyes may actually cross temporarily as she looks around. This happens because the inner muscles are stronger, but be sure to talk to your doctor if her eyes stay crossed.

Make sure you protect your baby's eyes from bright light (sunlight and reflected glare). Keep her in the shade, have her wear a brimmed hat, and keep her under an umbrella. If you're going to put sunglasses on your baby, make sure that they have 100 percent ultraviolet filtration.

Here are some warning signs that might indicate a vision problem. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

• Doesn't see objects unless they are held close.

• Turns sideways or tilts head at an unusual angle to look at objects.

• Has persistent redness in or around eyes, or swelling or a discharge from eyes.

• One or both eyelids droop.

• The colored part of one or both eyes appears cloudy.

• Shows excessive tearing, light sensitivity, squinting, or blinking.

• Rubs eyes frequently.

• An eye flutters.

• Appears to be groping when offered a bottle.