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0–5 monthsGross Motor (physical culture)

can fixate their eyesight on objects 18 inches away

Observe whether the child: can fixate their eyesight on objects 18 inches away

What it looks like

Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.

Emerging

Just starting

Your child is beginning to hold their gaze on a nearby object, but the look may be very brief, happen only when the object is still, or need a calm alert moment.

What you might see

  • Briefly looks at an object near 18 inches away but loses focus quickly
  • Fixates more easily when the object is still and the child is calm

Expected

On track

Your child can fixate their eyesight on objects 18 inches away, holding their gaze on a nearby object at about that distance.

What you might see

  • Looks directly at an object about 18 inches away
  • Holds gaze on the object long enough for the parent to notice clear fixation
  • Can fixate on more than one simple nearby object during a calm moment

Exceeding

Going further

Your child fixes their gaze on objects about 18 inches away in different quiet routines and may look again on their own when the object or person is interesting.

What you might see

  • Looks back to an interesting object about 18 inches away without needing repeated prompting
  • Fixates during different routines, such as being held, lying on the back, or sitting with support

Try this at home

Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.

  • During a calm alert moment, hold a simple object about 18 inches from your child’s face and notice whether they look at it.

  • Try using your face or a high-contrast object at about the same distance and watch whether your child holds their gaze.

  • Keep the object still at first, and notice whether your child’s eyes settle on it.

Where this comes from

The dataset source and any supporting developmental research.

Dataset source

  • Stenhaug, B., Ram, N., & Frank, M. C. (2021). The Stanford SHQ: A measure of early developmental milestones.

    This item comes directly from the SHQ prompt asking whether the child can fixate their eyesight on objects 18 inches away.

Developmental research

  • Fantz, R. L. (1963). Pattern vision in newborn infants. Science, 140(3561), 296-297.

    Research on early infant visual attention supports using gaze fixation on nearby objects as an observable sign of early visual development.