This is typically due to under-developed eye coordination and usually goes away by 4 months of age.
Crossed eyes in babies older than 4 months, however, may indicate an eye condition known asstrabismus.
This shows up when the eye muscles don’t coordinate eye movements correctly.
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If caught early, it may be corrected with glasses or therapy, although sometimes surgery is needed.
This article explains why most newborns have crossed eyes from time to time.
Newborns and Crossed Eyes
There are several reasons the appearance of crossed eyes occurs with new babies.
However, as these babies grow, these folds start to disappear.
Therefore, it is common for a newborn’s eyes to move independently of each other.
The cross-eyed look sometimes causes concern for new parents.
Aneye doctorcan perform several tests on babies and young children to determine if treatment is needed.
Over time, the neglected eye may become lazy and result in vision loss if left untreated.
This visual condition is known as amblyopia or “lazy eye.”
In addition to developing amblyopia, depth perception could also be affected.
Causes
Strabismus sometimes runs in families.
But it can also show up in children with no family history.
This treatment is usually successful if caught early in a child’s life.
However, sometimes wearing glasses is not enough to correct strabismus, and treatment may includesurgical correction.
Eye doctors will operate on the eye muscles, maneuvering them to pull the eyes into the correct position.
Summary
Crossed eyes during the newborn stage are quite common.
This condition requires treatment, or it could lead to lazy eye and vision loss.
Glasses often correct the situation, but it sometimes requires surgery.
2014;100(3).
2017;65(3):184-190. doi:10.4103/ijo.IJO_867_16
