College

As measured on the Snellen chart, a newborn's vision is estimated to be:

A. 20/100
B. 20/240
C. 20/150
D. 20/50

Answer :

Final answer:

The correct answer is option B. 20/240. Newborns have developing retinas and visual processing centers in the brain, resulting in a visual acuity that is lower than that of an adult. The Snellen chart measures this, and newborn vision is typically around 20/200 to 20/400.

Explanation:

The question refers to estimating the visual acuity of a newborn as measured by the Snellen chart, which is used to assess visual acuity by presenting letters of decreasing size. For adults with normal vision, the standard is 20/20 vision, which means they can see at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. In contrast, newborns have significantly lower visual acuity because their retinas and parts of their brains that process visual information are still developing.

Regarding the provided options, typical newborn vision is around 20/200 to 20/400, indicating much poorer vision compared to a normal adult. However, this level of visual acuity is sufficient for newborns to see objects that are close to them, such as their mother's face during breastfeeding.

Therefore, the closest answer choice to the typical visual acuity for newborns would be B. 20/240, although the actual acuity may vary and can be somewhat different depending on the individual newborn.