Sometimes My Newborn Baby Seems to Have Crossed Eyes. Is This Normal?

Question: Sometimes My Newborn Baby Seems to Have Crossed Eyes. Is This Normal?

Answer: Many newborn infants appear to have crossed eyes from time to time. This normal occurence is due to a lack of development at this stage in their lives. It is normal for a newborn's eyes to move independently of each other. They may, at times, even appear to cross, causing much concern for new parents. However, by the age of three or four months, an infant's eyes should be straight and able to focus on objects without turning outward or inward.

If your baby us older and her eyes continue to cross, move inward or outward, or don't appear to focus together, strabismus might be to blame. Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes resulting from a failure of the eye muscles to work together. Early detection of strabismus or other eye disorders is important for preserving a child's future vision. An eye doctor can perform several tests on babies and young children to determine if treatment is needed.

_{Source: Strabismus(Esotropia and Exotropia). University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, 2007.}