He does not look at you, or follow moving objects

Have you noticed that your baby does not look at you, or that he does not follow moving objects? Learn more about the child’s visual development and when it is important to go to an ophthalmologist for an eye examination.

Can your baby already focus his gaze on an object or a person?

Theoretically, from birth, newborns are able to focus on their parents, even if their vision is still very immature compared to that of the adult. They cannot yet perceive precise details, for example.

Children’s vision develops rapidly in the first weeks of life. They direct their gaze towards the people around them to create interaction. In the first months, the child’s ability to focus on and track objects with his eyes improves. He can also begin to perceive colours and shapes more clearly. Vision development continues to progress until the age of 3, when the child has almost adult vision.

If you want to learn more about children’s vision development, please read our dedicated page.

Should I worry if my baby seems not to react to his environment?

It is normal for newborns not to focus their eyes on objects or people around them all the time, because they need time to develop their ability to focus on objects. If the disorder is transient, it may simply indicate that your child is tired.

However, the fact that an infant does not react to bright light, does not fixate on contrasting objects or does not follow them from 2-3 months should alert you to a possible visual problem. This should lead to an ophthalmological and orthoptic assessment. It is possible that problems such as strabismus, visual problems or eye abnormalities are identified during this visual examination and that measures are taken to treat them.

If in doubt, we advise you to go to your paediatrician who can then refer you to an eye specialist if an eyesight disorder is suspected.

Visual diseases that can cause babies to look away

There are several visual diseases that can cause a baby to look away, including: 

• Strabismus: an eye disorder in which the eyes do not move towards the same point. This can lead to a crossed or deviated gaze.
• Amblyopia: also known as “lazy eye”, it is a loss of vision in one eye that is caused by poor coordination between the eyes.
• Congenital cataract: opacity of the lens that can lead to vision loss.
• Retinopathy of prematurity: a disease of the retina that can develop in premature babies and can cause vision loss.
• Other genetic diseases or metabolic disorders that can cause vision problems in babies, such as retinitis pigmentosa.

Other diseases that can cause your baby to look away

Sometimes the fact that a child does not follow moving objects or his parents is not a sign of a visual disorder. Indeed, other pathologies can come into play: 

• A neurovisual problem: in this case, it is not the eyes that are the problem but the area of the brain that analyses the images. This happens especially when the child is born prematurely.
• A sign of autism: looking away, or even a child who avoids looking at their mum or dad can be symptoms of autism.

The faster these pathologies are diagnosed and managed, the easier it will be to institute appropriate treatment. It is therefore important to consult your family doctor if in doubt.

Find out more about children’s visual impairment

You now know when it is important to have your toddler’s vision checked. 

Do you want to learn more about children’s visual defects? Our ophthalmologists explain different pathologies such as myopia, congenital glaucoma, hyperopia, astigmatism, dry eye or conjunctivitis.