Baby rolling eyes back while feeding

Causes, Symptoms And When To See A Doctor

Most babies roll their eyes; knowing the precise cause can help avert undue worry.

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Eye rolling is a common phenomenon that many people do involuntarily. However, when you see a baby rolling eyes, you may feel concerned about a possible health problem. Nevertheless, most babies and infants may roll their eyes on a normal basis without any underlying causes of concern.

However, you may seek medical care if your baby’s eye-rolling movements become too frequent and they begin to display any signs of neurological disorders.

Explore more about the possible causes, signs and symptoms, warning signs, and facts to remember about eye-rolling in babies.

Why Do Babies Roll Their Eyes While Sleeping?

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Babies may roll eyes since their eye muscles and the visual system are not yet completely developed. Eyesight and control over eye muscles gradually develop in babies over time (1). According to Daniel Boyer, MD, specialized in molecular biology, histology, pharmacologyⁱXThe study that deals with the interaction of drugs on living organisms , and embryology, to name a few, “Babies roll their eyes because it is one of their natural reflexes. When babies stop rolling their eyes, it means that they have developed enough control over their muscles to keep their eyes focused in the same direction. This typically happens around six months.”

Related: When Can Babies See Clearly And Their Vision Development

Eye rolling tends to happen during the transitional time between sleep and wakefulness. You may often notice eye-rolling when your baby falls asleep or while breastfeeding. It can be slow, repeated opening and closing of the eyes. While breastfeeding does not cause eye-rolling in babies, most moms often observe their little ones close their eyes during nursing sessions.

Neurological disorders, head injuries, hypoglycemiaⁱXA condition where the blood sugar level in the body is below the normal range (low blood sugar), fever, etc. may cause seizure-related eye-rolling in many babies. Younger babies may roll their eyes since they have poor eye muscle control and developing brain functions. Whereas, it could be more likely due to pathology in a ten-month-old baby who has developed reasonable control over the eye muscles.

Quick fact

Excessive eye rolling or eyes moving in different directions in babies older than six months may be due to strabismus (crossed eye) (5). Strabismus is a disorder where both eyes don’t look in the same direction simultaneously.

Warning Signs And Symptoms In A Baby Rolling Eyes

Eye rolling can be normal in many circumstances. There won’t be any signs of behavioral or physical changes in babies who have normal eye movements. But, pathological eye roll may also be associated with other symptoms depending on the brain’s affected area or the problem with the visual system. Po-Chang Hsu, MD, a medical content expert at SleepingOcean.com, says, “Eye-rolling could be a sign of disorders, such as nystagmusⁱXA term for rapid, unrestrained eye movements , strabismusⁱXA condition where neither of the eyes points in the same direction , seizures, and cerebral palsy. However, parents should remember that eye-rolling doesn’t always mean an underlying issue. They should only be concerned if such eye movements are accompanied by symptoms, such as shivering, convulsionsⁱXFast and rhythmic shaking, with muscles tightening and relaxing frequently , uncontrolled crying, body jerkiness, trembling, increased irritability, irregular breathing, or any unusual changes in the baby’s behavior. ”

So, if you notice your baby rolling eyes often, look for signs of neurological disorders such as infantile spasms (West syndrome).You may also look for any warning signs of serious illnesses that may cause eye-rolling in infants. These warning signs may include (2):

Limb stiffening
Shivering
Irregular breathing
Increased irritability
Jerky body movements or convulsions
Prolonged crying

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These can be seizure symptoms in babies, and they may often require special care to avoid head injuries or other traumas during the seizure. However, Dr. Boyer clarifies, “A seizure is a medical condition that occurs when there is a sudden, brief change in how your brain’s electrical signals work. These changes can affect your body and brain’s normal functions, causing symptoms that can be mild to severe.

Rolling your eyes may not be a sign of a seizure because there is no uniform interpretation of what eye-rolling may mean. However, eye-rolling seizures can involve a person’s eyeballs.”

Eye movements not seen as normal include eyes that look only to one side and seem to be ‘stuck’ that side or eyes jerking from side to side constantly and not just associated with falling asleep or feeding.

Experts say

According to the University of Chicago Medicine, “Around 100 per 100,000 infants will suffer seizures, which may be difficult to recognize, even as an expert or parent (6).” Therefore, report any abnormal eye or body movement to your baby’s doctor.

Related: 5 Different Types Of Baby Cries And Their Reasons

What To Do If A Baby Rolls Eyes?

Frequent observation is required to determine whether eye-rolling is severe or not. You may keep a log of the number of times eye-rolling occurs and any associated symptoms. Daily records on the baby’s eye-rolling habit can be useful for diagnosis.

If possible, take a recording of the event on your phone. It sometimes comes in handy when the healthcare provider is seeing the baby when the eye movements are not happening.

A seizure can be due to fever, infections, or epilepsy disorder in babies. Seek immediate medical care to diagnose the cause.

Related: Signs Of Bacterial Infections, Causes, Diagnosis, & Treatment

When To Consult A Doctor

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Consult your baby’s pediatrician if you notice abnormal eye-rolling in your baby. If you are concerned or suspect infantile seizure, discuss with your doctor to diagnose the causes.

1. Why do babies move their eyes from side to side rapidly?

Babies may move their eyes side to side in the initial months after birth for diverse reasons. However, in rare scenarios, repetitive and rapid side-to-side or circular eye movements could be seen in babies with nystagmus, which may be congenitalⁱXExisting before or since birth or acquired (3).

2. Do newborns have weird eye movements?

Yes, sometimes a newborn may display various eye movements, such as rolling or rotating their eyes. Moreover, in some cases, you may notice that your baby’s eyes may seem crossed or atypical during the first three months after birth (4). Though this could be normal, you may consult a doctor if you persistently suspect any abnormalities in your baby’s eye movements.

Eye rolling in babies may not always be serious. You may find them rolling their eyes when they are sleepy or breastfeeding. So, the behavior may be a transition phase between sleep and wakefulness. However, eye rolling might also be seizure-related. It may sometimes indicate head injuries, neurological disorders, or hypoglycemia. It may also indicate poor eye muscle control or still-developing brain functions. Irrespective of the cause, the condition should not be ignored. If they exhibit symptoms such as shivering, limb stiffening, or irritability, consult your doctor for treatment options.

Key Pointers

Underdeveloped eye muscle control or gradually falling asleep while breastfeeding can prompt babies to roll their eyes.
It is a normal phenomenon, but additional symptoms such as body stiffening, abnormal breathing, or convulsions may indicate a neurological issue.
Observe the pattern and alarming signs, if any, and consult your doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

1. Infant Vision: Birth to 24 Months of Age; American Optometric Association
2. Infantile Spasms Symptoms and Diagnosis; The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
3. Nystagmus; NHS Foundation Trust.
4. Looking at Your Newbornl: What’s Normal; Kids Health
5. Is It Normal for a Newborn’s Eyes to Roll Back in Their Head?; Wonder baby
6. Early detection of seizures in infants crucial to brain development; University of Chicago Medicine

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Should You Worry About Your Baby's Rolling Eye Movements?

We sometimes roll our eyes to show our displeasure when something looks obnoxiously unpleasant or weird. But if your infant does that, you will be worried, no doubt! Of course, your little one won’t roll his eyes to show his displeasure or anger. Then why does a baby roll his eyes? And is it normal for a baby to roll his eyes? Well, the answer is a big ‘No’! Most babies may roll their eyes while asleep, but sometimes rolling the eyes can be because of various other reasons. Let us find out why babies roll their eyes and whether or not you should be concerned.

Video: Is Eye Rolling in Babies Concerning?

Why Do Babies Roll Their Eyes While Sleeping?

When a baby is born, his little body needs time to adjust to the outside world and mature. Like various other organs in his body, his eyes (or vision) are also in the development phase. This means that your baby’s vision and eye muscles will be weak. You need not concern yourself if your baby rolls his eyes while asleep because he will do less of it as he grows up. Instances of eye-rolling in infants are a part of normal development phenomenon. Consider it a normal developmental phenomenon if you see your baby rolling eyes upwards. When your little one is sleepy, you may even notice him rolling his eyes back in his head. Hence, the rolling of eyes can be associated with the infant’s drowsy state or the transition from a sleepy state to wakefulness. Sometimes, your little one may even roll his eyes while awake. But if your baby rolls his eyes too often, you should get him checked as it could be linked to serious medical conditions such as seizures, head trauma, low blood sugar, and hypocalcaemia.

Normal Eye Movements in Babies and Other Eye Rolling Causes That Are Harmless

1. Newborns Eye Movements and Eye-rolling

Infants lack clear vision but can recognise movement, forms, and patterns. Newborns’ vision ranges from 20/200 to 20/400. The eyes may converge and lose focus, but they are perfectly normal.

2. Rolling Eyes Because He Is Capable

It is understandable if you are concerned that your child has recently begun rolling his eyes. However, remember that infants are capable of bizarre behaviours simply because they have learned how to.

3. Feeling Sleepy

Eye rolling and fatigued, drooping eyes can emerge before falling asleep.

4. Showing Emotions

Some particularly expressive infants may roll their eyes while frowning or expressing dissatisfaction.

Causes of Abnormal Eye Movements in Newborn

There are rare circumstances in which eye rolling can be a sign of a medical concern. Eye rolling that is accompanied by diminished or lost consciousness has to be evaluated right away. Further aberrant eye movements may indicate a specific eye issue.

1. Nystagmus

The eyes move “back and forth” due to this eye disorder. When eyesight should normalise at six months, it may become obvious as early as six weeks of age or may take longer to appear. A “block” in the nerve signals between the eye and the brain’s visual cortex causes nystagmus. For instance, congenital cataracts may be the root of the issue.

2. Strabismus

In this circumstance, one eye rolls or drifts in a different direction. Typically, one or more of the extraocular muscles are the cause. The term “lazy eye” is frequently used to describe the affected eye. Various forms of strabismus include the eye moving toward or away from the nasal bridge.

3. Children’s Eye-rolling As a Result of Seizures

Eye rolling could be a seizure symptom if it coexists with altered behaviour or strange bodily movements. These strange eye movements can happen in a variety of situations.

4. Conditions and Additional Medical Reasons

Due to head traumas, low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, a newborn may be rolling its eyes.

What to Do If Your Infant Rolls Eyes?

Repeated observation is necessary to assess how severe an infant’s eye rolling is. You could record how often your infant rolls eyes and any accompanying symptoms. The baby’s tendency to roll their eyes each day should be noted daily for diagnosis.

If you can, record the occasion on your phone. It can be helpful when the baby is being examined by a medical professional, but no eye movements occur. Fever, illnesses, or a baby’s epilepsy problem can all cause seizures. Seek emergency medical attention to determine the cause.

Consideration and Warnings

As a parent, you need to be prompt in understanding whether or not your newborn’s eye movement, rolling of eyes, or the symptoms that your baby may be exhibiting require immediate medical assistance. Maintain a diary or log to monitor your baby’s eye movement. The log will help you establish the reasons that may trigger your baby to roll his eyes. It will also help you establish whether your baby rolls his eyes at a particular time of the day or not. If something concerning your baby’s health or condition appears fishy, act promptly and contact your baby’s paediatrician.

Suppose you feel that your newborn baby’s eyes rolling is accompanied by seizure-like symptoms, which may include stiffness of the limbs, constant crying, and shaky body movements. In that case, you need to ensure your baby’s safety. Seizures in babies may lead to complicated medical conditions, and seizures may occur if your baby may be running a high fever, has epilepsy, has severe infections etc. If your baby experiences a seizure, make your baby lie on the floor, preferably sideways, remove any tight clothing and take him to the doctor immediately to know the cause of the seizure.

When to Consult a Doctor

You may not notice other signs or symptoms if your baby rolls his eyes due to the lack of muscle control. But suppose he rolls his eyesight due to some underlying medical condition. In that case, it may be accompanied by other noticeable symptoms like convulsions, shivering, trembling, irregular breathing, change in skin colour, jerky body movements, uncontrolled crying, and excessive irritability or other such symptoms.

If you are a first-time parent and your infant starts rolling his eyes, it will scare you, but don’t panic. It is a common problem in newborns and is generally associated with a lack of weak muscle control in the eyes. However, if you notice something abnormal, seek professional guidance. If anything abnormal may be detected, your baby’s paediatrician may suggest you refer a neurologist for further diagnosis and tests.

FAQs

1. When Do Babies Stop Rolling Their Eyes?

A newborn’s eyes may occasionally stray or cross throughout the first few months of life. However, the eyes often straighten up when a baby is 4-6 months old.

2. Is It Normal For A Baby To Have Rapid Eye Movement?

Babies may move their eyes quickly in the first several months after birth for various reasons. Inherited or acquired Nystagmus can occasionally cause baby eyes to move from side to side repetitively or make circular eye movements in infants.

Also Read: Common Eye Problems in Babies

10 delusions of young mothers

Source: Amendment

PHOTO: IRMINA WALCZAK

The life of a woman in the first months after the birth of a child shrinks to the size of a child's room. Important problems that really need to be solved sometimes fade into the background and remain somewhere outside this small cozy world. At the same time, small, insignificant difficulties grow to universal proportions and turn into a nightmare for a young mother. The hormonal storm after childbirth makes a woman anxious and suspicious, and the baby still looks so little like a person, which creates a thousand reasons for excitement and makes parents doubt their own actions and decisions day after day. In this state, it is not surprising to become a victim of common myths and misconceptions.

1. There is something wrong with the baby…

In childbirth, the child has passed a serious test of nature and is not at all as helpless as it seems.

The fear that something is wrong with the baby usually comes after discharge from the hospital, when the mother is alone with her newborn child. Every day there is something new, and this new is sometimes scary. Then he shudders, rolls his eyes in his sleep and unnaturally spreads his arms. It turns pale, blushes and even turns blue, and during the cry it rolls up so that it is about to burst.

You should not lose your head from excessive vigilance and try on all the well-known horror stories on yourself and your baby. In childbirth, the child has passed a serious test of nature and is not at all as vulnerable and helpless as it seems. The main thing that a healthy newborn should be able to do is poop, write, yell, eat, gain weight and sometimes sleep. If he copes with these six functions, everything is in order.

2. Not enough milk!

Hypogalactia - insufficient milk production - is very rare. In most cases, the feeling of lack of milk is groundless and subjective.

Do not rush to supplement the baby with a mixture. The composition and nutritional value of milk for each woman are individual. For example, the protein content can be doubled. Therefore, you should not worry about breast size and the amount of milk produced for each feeding. The need for food and the manner of breastfeeding in children also differ: someone eats a lot, but rarely, others require breasts all day long, but eats quite a bit at a time.

There are signs that objectively indicate good lactation:

- A difference of 0.1-0.5 ° C in the temperature measured in the armpit and under the mammary gland on one side of the body.

- Bright and branched venous network under the skin of the chest.

- The frequency of urination in the baby is more than 6-7 times a day.

3. Pumping - the last century

It is difficult to express milk, sometimes it hurts, and at night it’s generally insulting. Therefore, young mothers very easily agree with the opinion that kissing is nonsense, once invented by grandmothers in order to complicate their lives and temper their character. Alas, it is not. Almost every woman who wants to fully feed her child has to express milk.

In the first weeks of feeding, expressing the breast is required for the proper development of lactation. But in the future, the issue of pumping needs to be approached more thoughtfully. Additionally, it is necessary to empty the chest if the baby has not eaten well, feeding is missed, soreness and induration appear in the chest, and also after each feeding if there is not enough milk. Women who blindly follow the rule: feed on demand - do not strain, risk losing milk and transferring the baby to formula after a few months.

4. No, I'm a breastfeeding mother!

What can really affect the quality of milk? Coffee, strong tea, chocolate, alcohol, early vegetables, fruits and tablets.

To deprive yourself of human food in the name of a baby is almost an axiom for a nursing mother. Under the ban are dairy products, pastries, almost all fruits, berries and vegetables, pork, sausages, canned food, sauces - the list is endless. In fact, the composition and properties of milk are determined genetically and practically do not depend on nutrition.

The fact that cow's milk drunk by a mother can cause an allergy in a baby is a myth! The protein of cow's milk does not pass into breast milk, this is impossible. Hormones with which someone stuffed meat cannot penetrate the milk. And certainly coarse vegetable fiber, say, cabbage, which sometimes causes bloating and colic, cannot get into milk, but only in the mother, and not in the baby.

What can really affect the quality of milk? These are low molecular weight non-protein substances that, in large quantities, can give milk a certain smell or change the taste. If, for example, mommy eats a lot of garlic, the milk will take on a new smell. Whether the baby likes it or not is unpredictable.

Milk easily passes caffeine, alcohols, nitrates and most of the drugs. Moreover, the concentration of these ingredients will be approximately the same as in the mother's blood. Therefore, with coffee, strong tea, chocolate, alcohol, early vegetables, fruits and all kinds of pills, you need to be more careful.

5. "Flushka" is forbidden to mothers!

During fluorography, you receive the same radiation load as during a week of summer vacation at sea. As for milk, X-ray radiation does not affect it at all.

6. Do not give water to babies

Water for babies is not dangerous and is excreted from the body in the same way as in an adult. As soon as the child begins to eat additional food, he should drink water.

A baby has enough milk and you can’t drink it! Water is poorly excreted from the baby's body. In addition, having drunk, the baby sucks weakly at the breast, and because of this, the mother’s milk disappears.

These statements are only partly true. If it is hot, the baby sweats, then the need for additional fluid arises even in a nursing baby. Does your lactation consultant suggest breastfeeding more often? Then imagine what it would be like to quench your thirst with chicken broth. Depriving children of water is especially cruel with the introduction of complementary foods. As soon as the child begins to receive additional food, he should drink water and other approved baby drinks.

Water for babies is not dangerous and is excreted from the body in the same way as in an adult. And of course, the baby will not be able to get enough water, even if you specifically give him plenty to drink right before feeding. Perhaps one feeding will be skipped, but the next - the baby will eat for two. Mom will not have problems with milk.

7. Sterility is the guarantee of health!

Special hygiene rules are now irrelevant. It is enough to wash toys and dishes with soap, and wash clothes and diapers daily and dry them in the fresh air.

It is very difficult to debunk this myth, since the recommendations to boil everything, sterilize and iron everything with a hot iron on both sides begin with the maternity hospital, continue on the pages of books about babies and haunt us even on the labels of bottles, nipples and rodents.

The realization that the time spent on the total heat treatment of everything and everything was thrown away in vain comes only when a practically sterile baby with its boiled toys suddenly finds itself on the floor and tastes slippers, door sills and other interesting finds!

Why boil water for bathing if, from birth in the maternity hospital, the cub was washed with the usual tap water? Why sterilize nipples, bottles and other utensils if the baby constantly licks himself and everything around? Is it worth it to carefully iron diapers that have been washed in hot chlorinated water with washing powder and are the property of a single baby, and not a whole nursery group?

The special hygiene rules that were once relevant have now completely lost their significance. It is enough to wash toys and dishes with soap, and wash clothes and diapers daily and dry them in the fresh air. Boiling and sterilizing dishes is only necessary if you are going to store expressed milk in it for a long time.

8. Hold at the breast longer

In fact, breast milk is the optimal food for a baby up to 6 months, and after - by 12 months, the importance of mother's milk gradually decreases.

It is believed that a weaned child is doomed to all sorts of health and mental problems. Therefore, for some mothers, long-term breastfeeding becomes the meaning of life, almost a religion. They are ready to breastfeed 3 times a day before school, and then only for breakfast. In fact, breast milk is the necessary and optimal food for a baby up to 6 months, and after - by 12 months - the importance of mother's milk gradually decreases. In a year, the baby should receive full-fledged human food, and mother's milk remains only a pleasant addition, which can be completely replaced with any dairy products.

If you really want to stretch the period of breastfeeding longer - your right. The main thing is not to the detriment of your health and family well-being. But if for some reason you have to complete feeding by the year and even earlier, there is no tragedy in this. Much more dangerous is the myth itself that a woman who does not breastfeed is a bad mother! Milk is just food, and you can give affection, tenderness and love to your baby, even feeding him a formula from a bottle.

9. Teeth out of order - trouble!

Delayed eruption is often a sign of illness, but the order of appearance of milk teeth in healthy children is often violated.

In Internet articles and forums, you can often find the statement that the order of teething in infants is much more important than the timing at which the teeth appeared. Allegedly, teeth that climb contrary to the established queue are a sign of serious health problems in the baby. This is a big misconception.

In fact, pediatricians strictly monitor the time of the appearance of teeth, since late eruption is sometimes really a sign of poor nutrition or serious illnesses of the baby, for example, rickets. But the order of appearance of milk teeth is often violated in healthy children. Moreover, in recent years, dentists have increasingly recorded such deviations, which in the future do not affect the child's condition in any way.

10. Breastfeeding protects against unwanted pregnancy

Partly it is. If a woman breastfeeds at least once every four hours with a six-hour break at night, and the baby actively sucks and is only breastfed, the process of egg maturation in the ovaries is suppressed in the mother's body, so pregnancy is impossible. However, as the frequency of feeding or milk production decreases, the chance of ovulation and the risk of an unplanned pregnancy increases. Therefore, the protective effect of lactation persists only in the first months of a baby's life, before the introduction of complementary foods, and you should not rely on it completely.

Why does the child roll his eyes in his sleep?

August 23, 2020

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Eye rolling in babies can be a wake-up call for most parents, but often this "habit" is explained by the natural growth of the eye muscles and does not indicate a developmental pathology.

Why do babies roll their eyes in their sleep?

Infants may roll their eyes because their eye muscles and visual system are not yet fully developed.

Eye rolling usually occurs during the transition between sleep and wakefulness and is manifested by slow, repeated opening and closing of the eyelids.

Although breastfeeding alone does not cause eye rolling in babies, many mothers report this unusual behavior during a feeding session.
Neurological disorders, head trauma, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), high fever, etc. can cause convulsive eye-rolling in many children.
Young children may roll their eyes due to poor control of their eyeballs and underdeveloped brain functions.

Warning signs and symptoms

Rolling eyes can be normal in many circumstances. Children with normal eye movements will show no signs of behavioral or physical changes. But abnormal eye rolling can also be associated with other symptoms, depending on the affected area of the brain or problem with the visual system.

If you notice your child rolling their eyes frequently, look for signs of neurological disorders such as infantile spasms (West syndrome).

Also look out for any warning signs of serious illness that may cause this abnormal behavior, such as:

stiffness in arms and legs;
shiver;
shortness of breath;
irritability;
sudden body movements or convulsions;
prolonged crying.

These may be seizure symptoms in children and often require special care to avoid head injury.

What if the child rolls his eyes?

Frequent observation is required to determine if eye rolling is severe or not. You can keep a journal that will record all instances of abnormal behavior and any symptoms associated with it. Daily records of a baby's "bad" habit can be helpful for diagnosis.

In the event of a seizure, lay the child on a flat surface to avoid falls and loosen clothing to relieve breathing problems.