That is why black-and-white baby books are becoming increasingly popular

During the first two months after birth, babies’ vision is still very underdeveloped. They cannot see faces clearly, nor can they distinguish colours. There is, however, one thing they find quite striking and fascinating.

These days, black-and-white picture books for babies – featuring nothing but various geometric shapes, lines, abstract figures and patterns – are becoming increasingly popular. This is no coincidence, as we may well have noticed ourselves that even babies as young as a few weeks or one or two months old show greater interest and sustain their attention for longer when looking at pages of this kind than when faced with any other toy. For a newborn or infant, a colourful soft toy, blanket or other toy in their immediate surroundings is not yet particularly exciting. If their eyes are drawn to anything, it is more likely to be our gaze. With high-contrast black-and-white images, however, the situation is different, as these are able to capture babies’ gaze and attention very quickly; what’s more, according to experts, they even help to develop their visual skills.

At first, babies cannot see colours

During the first two months after birth, babies’ vision is still very underdeveloped. Although they are able to make eye contact almost immediately (albeit not for long), their vision is rather blurred, and coordinating the movements of their eyes is no easy task; as a result, they often appear to be daydreaming. They cannot see faces clearly, nor can they distinguish colours. One of the main reasons for this is that the receptors in the eyes – which detect light and transmit it via nerve pathways to the brain – are not yet sufficiently developed, and the baby lacks the ability to use them properly.

We distinguish between two types of receptors in the eye: the chopsticks, which are responsible for vision at twilight and for distinguishing between shades of black and white, as well as the taps, which are responsible for distinguishing and recognising colours. Rod receptors are present and fully functional from birth; therefore, even infants are able to pay attention to and distinguish between high-contrast visual stimuli. In contrast, cone receptors only develop fully later, gradually, so colour perception only becomes apparent much later. During the first few months, therefore, children’s attention is drawn to nearby (within roughly 30 centimetres) and relatively large objects, in which black-and-white shades predominate. High-contrast picture books or similarly patterned objects capture infants’ attention because they can actually see them, distinguish them from the background, and this is precisely what arouses their interest.

The developmental benefits of high-contrast books

Learning and development are always linked to stimuli. This is why such great emphasis is placed on providing children with a stimulating environment in the context of child-rearing, as this promotes – and may even accelerate – their development. The developmental benefits of black-and-white high-contrast picture books, similarly patterned blankets, or soft toys stems from the fact that infants can already see these images; they capture the infants’ attention, thereby providing the necessary stimulation for learning and development. As a result of the attention they attract, infants practise focusing on objects, coordinating their eyes, and tracking a moving target – all tasks that require development. The targeted development of these skills can even be enhanced by carefully selecting the types of shapes used. Looking at various geometric shapes helps infants to focus and develop sharp vision, whilst line-based figures contribute specifically to coordinated eye movements and the ability to track moving objects. 

The varied black-and-white illustrations therefore provide almost comprehensive support for the development of young children’s vision; however, this does not mean that we should completely exclude colours from the very earliest stages of life. Although babies can see almost no colours before the age of 4 months, their ability to do so will only develop properly if they are given the opportunity to encounter colours. Whether it’s black-and-white patterned picture books or soft toys, which will initially engage them more, make sure there are colourful versions of these too, so that they can see the beauty of colours as soon as possible.

Children are healthy to its development They need the right stimuli, and to provide these, it helps if we too understand how this process works. Apart from that, however, all we can do is watch, support and marvel as our little ones become more skilful day by day, until one day they’ll grow up.

Originally published on: divany.hu, 9 December 2020.