Final answer:
Molly is considering colors for nursery decorations to stimulate her newborn's color and depth perception, which are initially limited but improve rapidly after birth. Newborns prefer faces and their mother's voice, indicating these elements could also be included in a stimulating nursery environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Molly is buying decorations for her child's nursery and is focused on selecting colors that her newborn will be able to differentiate, stimulating her child's visual development. Newborns have limited color perception, with some ability to distinguish red immediately after birth, but other colors such as green, yellow, or blue are not as easily discerned. Color perception and depth perception improve quickly as the child grows, beginning more considerable development once the child becomes mobile in later infancy. Newborns tend to have a natural attraction to human faces and preferring to listen to human voices, particularly their mother's, over other sounds. They also exhibit a strong sense of smell, often recognizing the scent of their own mother. When planning a nursery, incorporating elements that include high contrast and face-like patterns could be beneficial for engaging a baby's vision, while accents that have personal significance or evoke the presence of a caregiver could support their other developing senses. Considering newborns' sensory preferences, including a variety of textures and contrasting colors, could help Molly create a stimulating environment for her child's sensory development. Although full color perception develops over time, emphasizing contrasts and including elements that mimic human interaction could enhance the nursery's ability to engage the infant's evolving senses.