The Eyes Have It
Your newborn’s vision, tears and eye color

Do You See What I See?

When it comes to baby vision, the eyes don't really have it all until 4 or more years down the road — the age at which 20/20 color vision is thought to set in. That does not mean, however, that your newborn can't see anything. Here's a glimpse of what your newborn can see.

• From a distance. Because of their limited range of vision, newborns tend to pay closest attention to objects near their faces. At birth, your newborn should be able to see a good 12 inches in front of him fairly clearly — the perfect distance at which to gaze at your smiling face.
• In contrast. Early on, babies are rumored to prefer items with contrasting colors. While this serves as a good explanation for the popularity and marketing of red-white-black infant toys, the truth is that you really don't need to go out of your way to offer your newborn a healthy daily dose of visual stimulation. Your everyday interactions and commonplace baby objects (such as books, pictures, or rattles) should suffice.
• Gaining control. While it is relatively common for babies younger than 4 months or so to appear cross-eyed on occasion, they should develop better eye-muscle control relatively quickly. Normal eye alignment and the ability to focus are key factors in developing normal eyesight, so you should be sure to mention any unusual eye movements you notice to your baby's pediatrician.

Duct Work

Your newborn has tiny tear ducts located in the inner corner of each eye that drain into the nose and, when functioning properly, play an important role in draining tears. It helps to liken this drainage system to a sewer system; if and when babies become stuffy, those that happen to have been born with narrower than usual (or blocked) tear ducts may experience a noticeable backup in the sewer system. Unable to adequately keep up with the normal ebb and flow, tears back up — resulting in a more watery and/or goopy eye (or eyes). If you and your pediatrician determine that your baby has a blocked tear duct or two, you can clean off any goop that accumulates around your baby's eye by gently wiping the lid with a warm, damp, clean towel or tissue. Be aware that eye goop often seems to bother parents much more than it does newborns. When the going gets goopy, try to resist the temptation and keep your wiping in check — limiting it to when things get really nasty. Although its usefulness is debated, some pediatricians also recommend lightly pressing and then gently massaging the area between the corner of the eye and the nose downwards — presumably to help relieve any obstruction in the duct and get things moving. Most blocked ducts get better by the first birthday. Those that don't clear up on their own generally necessitate a trip to see a pediatric ophthalmologist, who may deem it necessary to use a small probe to carefully open up the uncooperative duct(s).

 

No More Tears…Yet

Newborn babies don't typically shed tears in the first month or two of life. This is because the tear ducts aren't fully functional yet — but never fear, they will be up and running soon enough.

Pink Eye

While blocked tear ducts end up being solely to blame for a good many goopy eyes, it is nevertheless going to be important for you to be aware of and on the lookout for pink eye. Although pink eye generically refers to any eye that appears pink (or red) regardless of cause, the term is often used to describe actual eye infections. Although it's easy enough to tell you that true infections often have a thicker yellow or greenish discharge and are more likely be accompanied by some degree of swelling and/or redness, distinguishing between the two is easier said than done. It is very important for eye infections to be diagnosed and treated without delay, so any suspicions you may have should promptly be followed up with a phone call to your pediatrician. If your baby has already been diagnosed with a blocked tear duct, you'll still want to watch for signs of infection, because infants who have blocked tear ducts are more prone to developing eye infections than those who don't.