My Baby Squeezes Her Eyes Shut

When the baby is born, their sight is usually feeble. As the baby grows, their vision improves, and they can see and focus on objects, color, and perceive space and depth. Not all babies develop their vision well. It is hard to tell if your baby’s behavior of squeezing her eyes shut is just a game or a vision problem.

Eye changes faster, and your baby’s eye problem can start at any age. It’s advisable to check your baby’s eyes often and her behaviors as well. Look at what your baby does to establish a pattern of their behavior. Read on to know why your baby is squeezing her eyes.

Feeling Sleepy

It comes with rubbing and squeezing her eyes while trying to fight back the sleep. It means she is sleepy, and she may even start yawning.  When the baby squeezes the eyes, it means she is trying to release tensions on her eyes. It works just like when you get a massage to release tensions on your muscles. Time for a napping baby.

Dry Eyes

When a tear film covering your baby’s eyes is exposed to air for long, it can evaporate.  The eyes get dry and create discomfort in your baby.  She will naturally squeeze her eyes to ease the pain. The act of pressing the eyes also elicits tears, which restore the moisture in the eyes.

Curiosity

Your baby could have developed new skills that she enjoys. When you squeeze your eyes and close them, open, squeeze again, close, and open and repeat the cycle, it gives you a pattern. She is playing and experiencing the new skill she has just discovered.

She May Have Something on Her Eyes

If she is squeezing her eyes are repeatedly shut, she might have something on her eyes. It could be eyelash, dust pecks, or even dried mucus. She may also blink continuously or get teary eyes too. If you notice any irritation on your baby’s eyes, wipe her wet cloth on her face and around the eyes. After brushing her, clean her eyes with cold water. Never use warm water while cleaning inside the eyes. If you look in her eyes and see an object at the corner of your baby’s vision, use a wet cloth to wipe it off. When the blinking and teary eye persists, it shows the object is still on your baby’s eyes and recommends seeing a doctor.

Itchy Eyes

Itchy eyes are a result of infection or allergy. When your baby squeezes, her eyes shut. She is trying to rub her eyes without using hands. She feels better when she squeezes her eyes and relieves the pain that comes with allergy infection or discomfort. If your baby has an infection, she may have swollen eyes, discharge, reddish eyes, fever, and constant cry. It’s good to consult a doctor to get your baby the right medication.

Signs Your Baby Needs Eye Checkup

As a parent, you want our children to grow healthy, and part of being healthy has a clear vision. Unfortunately, as a parent, you may not realize when your babies’ vision is not normal. These signs show your baby needs an eye exam. When your baby cannot see something clearly through one of her eyes, they tend to close it. If the eye closing goes on for long, get it checked.

When your baby is excessively rubbing their eyes, they could be having Allergic conjunctivitis, which is usually standard. Get your baby checked as early as possible. Regular headaches are associated with eyesight, especially if they happen later in the day. If this is the case for your baby, see the pediatrician to rule other serious possibilities and get your baby’s eyes accessed. Do you or your partner suffer from eye problems? These could be a concern to have your baby’s eyes checked, especially if you both have eye problems.

How to Prevent Eye Squeezing in Babies

Establish a sleeping pattern for your baby, so she sleeps without squeezing and rubbing her eyes. Please keep her in a clean area free from any dust. When your baby is full, she can squeeze her eyes as a sign she no longer wants to feed anymore. 

Babies have various ways of expressing themselves, and squeezing eyes shut is one of the courses. It is not a call for concern since your baby may be having fun with her newly found game. If you notice your baby’s eyes have swelling or redness, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor.