Is it Dangerous for My Baby to Have a Blank Stare?

Does your baby have a blank stare? What consequences can that have for your personal development? Keep reading to find out.

A blank stare , introverted eyes, and perception problems. If you observe that your baby manifests any of these symptoms, you must be on alert. All of these are possible indications of some mental abnormalities, although everything will depend on the child’s age.

A recurrent blank stare in children can be an indication of the presence of two types of ailments, either affecting the child’s vision or their nervous system. For this reason, pediatricians advise keeping an active control of the visual behavior of babies.

To have adequate information, you must know that the visual organs have an adaptation time for their correct functioning. Even after delivery, each eye continues to adapt to the reception of stimuli until it reaches its optimal state.

Symptom 1: Strange movements in the eyes

This can be observed when we have direct contact with our little ones. If your child doesn’t focus when you’re putting a bottle in their mouth, there could be a strabismus problem. A slightly scattered look can be normal, but up to a certain point.

When children are very young, their eyes may bulge inward a bit. This only indicates that the visual organs are still adapting to fulfill their function; Actually, we parents can do exercises to help our children.

However, the correct thing is for children to overcome this problem before or after the sixth month of life. In case this doesn’t happen, the doctor can diagnose a disease and initiate medical treatment; the more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to make the correction.

Symptom 2: The child has a blank stare

Visual failures can motivate the baby to look away while you interact with them. However, there’s always the possibility that the little one is experiencing a problem in their nervous system.

At present, the symptom of a blank stare is associated with the presence of some degree of autism in children. Therefore, if we have any suspicions, it’s best to consult with a trusted pediatrician.

The specialist will be in charge of guiding you in the medical tests that the little one in your house will undergo. Most likely, the pediatrician will ask for an ophthalmological examination to arrive at a proper diagnosis.

Other signs to pay attention to

• The baby doesn’t fix their gaze: Children from the age of three months must be able to fix and coordinate their gaze. If they can’t and their eyes are constantly moving, there may be a problem.
• The child doesn’t follow objects with their eyes: As you can see, this is normal up to a certain age and it’s possible to work on with exercises. But come the fourth month of the child, the solution could get complicated.
• They can’t move their eyes in a certain direction: This symptom also denotes poor control of the eye organs, as well as a lack of alignment.
• Tearing: Occurs when the child has constant tears in their eyes, even when they haven’t been crying. It could be that there’s something wrong with the blinking function.

How should we verify these symptoms?

It’s best for parents not to worry excessively either. To tell the truth, there are stages in the life of the baby in which it’s normal for a child does not to control their gaze completely. For example, during the first month, newborns only distinguish forms that are somewhat blurred.

From the fifth to the sixth week on, babies should be able to focus their vision. What can happen is that their eyes aren’t aligned properly. Generally, this small ocular failure only occurs in one of their eyes.

If the problem persists after two or three months, it’s best to get the child checked by a specialist. A child at 3 months of age should already be able to control their eyes practically like an adult.

When should I see a doctor?

All the symptoms mentioned above are considered normal during the first months of life. However, if the child grows and vision problems such as a blank stare continue, you’ll need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

One of the first warning signs is that your 1-month-old is unable to fix their gaze on an object in front of them for a few seconds. Another sign that something’s wrong with your little one is that they’re unable to follow objects with their eyes at 3 months of age.

The symptoms mentioned indicate that the child’s psycho development isn’t progressing adequately. Therefore, evaluation by a specialist is essential in these cases in order to diagnose and correct the problem in time.

Parents can help their children by doing exercises

Older people play a very important role in the development of our babies’ sight. It’s not only about observing if something’s wrong, but we can also help them through stimulating exercises.

One of the most effective exercises can be done with brightly colored toys. The idea is to move two different objects sideways and verify that the child is able to follow them.

Mobile toys that are placed in the crib are also good for working on children’s optical development. In conclusion, the central issue is to quickly become aware of any anomalies.