Why Babies Stare at You So Much
If you’ve ever noticed your baby intensely staring at people or objects — don’t worry, it’s totally normal. Babies are very curious about their environment and surroundings because everything is new to them. Development plays a major role, but there are also a few other reasons that can cause this.
With that in mind, 5-Minute Crafts did some research on this topic to explain why babies may be staring at you for seemingly no reason.
1. You’re wearing bright colors.
Babies’ vision develops as they grow, and a key part of developing their vision is the introduction to bright colors. Newborns have an easier time focusing on high contrast objects and colors that contrast with each other. Because of that, you might notice your baby looking at you if you’re wearing bright jewelry or clothes.
2. You have unique features.
Everything babies look at is something new and different every day, so if you have a unique feature that the baby has never seen before — colorful glasses, a different beard shape, a more uncommon hair color, a lot of freckles — it’s likely that this will grab the baby’s attention and make them more interested in you.
3. They are drawn to movement.
Typically, babies start to recognize movement at around 3 months old. Sensory movement is a very important part of helping their brains develop — ceiling fans or playing peek-a-boo are great examples that can cause a lot of stimulation and make the baby look.
4. You’re their mother.
A study also showed that newborns are able to differentiate their mother’s face from the face of a stranger. Babies start to recognize their mother’s voice from the third trimester of pregnancy, even though low and muffled, they can hear their mom’s heartbeat too. And shortly after birth, an infant will use their sense of smell to acknowledge who’s taking care of them.
5. You’re beautiful.
Research actually shows babies prefer to stare at attractive faces. Researchers experimented by showing babies certain faces that were considered attractive and others that are considered less attractive (by adults) — and the results showed that the infants actually spent more time looking at the attractive face rather than the less attractive one.
However, it’s always best to keep in mind that everyone is unique in their own way, and babies have no clue what modern society’s beauty standards are. If you find a baby staring at you, chances are you have some interesting feature that that baby has never seen before.