What kind of world do newborns see? Newborn babies, although their vision is still developing, have an exceptional ability to recognize faces. This ability was discovered in the 1960s by psychologist Fantz through the "preferential looking method." By six months, a baby's vision improves to about 0.2 of an adult's, and they are drawn to faces, especially features like eyes and mouths. Colorful picture books and toys play a role in laying the foundation for a baby's visual development and social skills.