Functional organization of the human visual system at birth and across late gestation

The organization of the newborn visual system constrains perception at birth and shapes how visual abilities develop across childhood. Using resting-state fMRI from 584 neonates, we provide a comprehensive systems-level characterization of the human visual cortex within hours of birth and across the third trimester of gestation. We find that the newborn visual cortex is already organized into three distinct pathways (ventral, lateral, and dorsal), each exhibiting a hierarchical structure and adult-like topographic organization. This organization becomes increasingly differentiated across gestation, with strengthening pathway segregation, hierarchical structure, and a greater alignment to adults. Individual pathways, however, follow distinct developmental trajectories, with dorsal areas showing near-adult-like organization at the earliest gestational ages examined, whereas ventral areas remained comparatively immature. The extensive intrinsic organization at birth, combined with pathway-specific maturation, provides a basis for understanding the perceptual capabilities of infants and the capacity for learning from one's environment.