Marnie Baker, M.D., pediatrician at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California tells Romper that newborns don't yet have a well developed sense of vision, so they are mostly attracted to things with light, movement, and contrast, including ceiling fans.
There's no harm in this, and it's not a sign of any developmental issue. Afterward, as baby learns to crawl and directly interact with the environment, you'll probably notice less staring because they're too busy exploring!
Baby Stares at Light
No worries, your baby has probably picked the lights because his or her long-range eyesight is still developing, and the lights provide wonderful contrast between bright and dark.
The eyes of infants are permeable to both ultraviolet radiation and blue light, and extremely sensitive to glare. Although light is essential for the proper development of visual function in children, surveillance and protection are particularly important in the first months of life.
Infants eyes let in more light and are much more sensitive than adults' eyes and so just a short blast of bright light can suppress melatonin and its sleep promoting effect. No screens at least 2 hours before bedtime is ideal and should be the norm.
MYTH: Babies are scared of the dark.
FACT: Babies are not scared of the dark. They have nothing to base that fear on, since their imagination doesn't develop until around 2 years of age. In the womb it is dark (and noisy) and so, like other mammals, babies actually find the dark comforting, safe and calming.
Babies truly sleep best when a room is really dark. I know that some families worry their baby may be afraid of the dark, but I want to reassure you that these fears typically don't develop until age two or older. Night lights in the nursery aren't necessary for baby sleep.
So your baby should be able to make and maintain eye contact with you by 9 weeks old. But when it comes to the ceiling specifically, there might be some contrast there that interests them, like the light fixture or a shadow. "Newborns and infants are visually attracted to stark contrast.
Your child will soon learn that you are simply in another room. If your baby awakens in the night for feeding, don't turn on the lights. Keep the room dark and quiet. Use night lights, if needed.
And at about the same age, babies who are gazing and smiling at a parent will look away on their own while still smiling. Scientists think that is a sign that they are starting to regulate their own emotions and need to take a break from the intensity of the one-on-one interaction.
According to an old notion, first-born children are genetically predisposed to appear more like their father. It was thought that this was done so that the father would accept the child as his and provide for and care for them. Another argument is that this would prevent him from eating the baby.
Early Brain Development
I hear a lot of parents say, "But my baby likes it!" Infants may stare at the bright colors and motion on a screen, but their brains are incapable of making sense or meaning out of all those bizarre pictures.
Mirror-gazing is a favorite activity for babies. Your baby doesn't yet recognize their own face—that will come much later. But they get to see a fascinating (and adorable) human looking back at them. If your baby isn't into the mirror yet, they likely will be soon.
Humans, even newborns crave physical contact and are comforted by it. Whether they recognize a kiss as a special form of showing affection is irrelevant. They are comforted by it, and gradually learn that association.
Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact. No response to his or her name.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises eliminating screen time for children younger than 2 years completely, linking it to language learning delays. WOW! Remember screen time includes all forms: TV's, movies, video games, computers, tablets, and cell phones. Essentially, anything with a screen.
Light and sleep
A darker room means less stimulation around your child. This will help calm and settle them. A darkened room also tells your child that it's time for rest. Once your child is in bed, they'll sleep better if the amount of light in the room stays the same while they're asleep.
Sleepless nights are common in new parenthood, but they do not last forever. Most babies will begin to sleep for longer periods at night from the age of 6 months old. Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night.
The best way for them to get enough restful sleep is by sleeping with no lights on at all. Some people might think that it'll take too long for a newborn baby to become accustomed to total darkness so early on but according to research, this isn't true because they need time just as much as adults do!
Thankfully, science tells us that staring at absolutely nothing is a normal part of child development, no matter how creepy it is. Consumer Healthday noted that sometimes babies just look off into the great nothing because their brains are working around the clock, growing and learning new things.
Babies staring and smiling at nothing is normal. In fact, there's nothing to worry about. When a baby is staring and smiling at nothing, you don't need to worry about anything.
Babies stare because you're interesting to look at!
Babies are naturally drawn to faces (especially their primary caregiver's) and might be drawn to interesting features, like glasses or a bushy beard.
Newborns spend most of their time sleeping between feeds and usually sleep for 16 hours in a 24-hour period. Your baby will need about 6 to 8 feeds in a 24-hour period, which will take around 2 to 5 hours a day in total.
Touch calms them. Which is why when held they sleep longer than when put down. Unfortunately, much of the “advice” warns that holding them will create a bad habit. This, however, is one more example of advice that does not apply to spirited babies.
Sticking with contact napping alone may be the right path for you, and there's nothing wrong with it. Some parents may not want or be able to contact nap with their baby for every nap, and that's also ok!