At what age does a normal newborn begin to look directly at and follow objects?

A normal newborn typically begins to look directly at and follow objects around the age of 3 months. At this stage of development, infants exhibit improved visual tracking abilities as their eye muscles strengthen and their neurological systems mature. They start to develop better focus and engagement with their environment, which includes visually following moving objects and exploring their surroundings with their eyes.

At 1 month, infants mainly respond to light and may begin to gaze at faces, but their ability to track objects is still very limited. By 6 months, most infants can not only track objects but also reach for them, demonstrating more advanced visual-motor coordination. While by 9 months, many babies exhibit further developed skills, including the ability to track objects with greater accuracy and turn their heads to follow moving items, the ability to start following objects reliably occurs around 3 months. Therefore, recognizing this developmental milestone is crucial for understanding normal visual development in infants.