Why does my newborn baby have cross eyes?
It's one of those things babies can have - but is it normal, and when should you see a doctor?
If you've gazed lovingly into your little one's eyes - and noticed one eye looking back and one eye looking in a different direction - it can be a bit disconcerting.
But is it anything to worry about? We asked Dr Philippa Kaye, who told us this:
"A squint (in medical terms, strabismus) is where the eyes don’t move together, so one or both eyes moves inwards or outwards.
"Squints are common in newborn babies as they learn to control their two eyes together! In babies the squint tends to be intermittent, it comes and goes."
Laura D, a member of our MadeForMums community asked "Rhys eyes had always looked fine with no problems but the past couple of weeks I have noticed more and more often, but not all the time that his eyes wont align up and one will go in the opposite direction. Do you think this mean his eyesight is really bad and his eyes will do this all the time eventually? He is 11 1/2 months. Has anyone else lo got or developed a squint?"
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As your baby gets a bit older, if the squint persists, Philippa says you'll probably want to see a doctor just to get things checked out:
"If the squint is constant or if a squint persists post-3 months of age then see your GP who will refer you to the paediatric ophthalmologists (eye doctors) as it may indicate that they need glasses or other issues and treatment may be required to ensure good vision."
Check out Dr Philippa Kaye on X
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Authors
Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015
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