How Long Are Newborns Supposed to Maintain Eye Contact?

Newborns don't have 20-20 vision and their attention spans are short, so maintaining eye contact usually only lasts a few seconds or brief minutes. You might be able to hold your baby's gaze longer when she is feeding and feeling alert with hunger pangs. Don't worry if your newborn can't focus on you for long or closes her eyes frequently. As she grows, her attention span will increase and her sleepiness will be replaced with more activity.

  1. Blurriness Blues

    • During the first month of a baby's life, his eye muscles are still developing so his eyes are usually crossed when he opens them. This increases blurriness and leads to double vision, so your newborn can only hold his gaze for a couple of seconds, according to Dr. William Sears in "Parenting" magazine. During this first month, it might feel like your baby is looking right through you, at the top of your forehead or off in a distant direction. Keep trying to make eye contact but don't worry if a steady gaze is short-lived.

    Seconds Matter

    • During their second month, babies see better and can hold their gazes longer. Your newborn will likely make contact with you for a few seconds and look away or close her eyes. Within a few seconds, she might look at you again and make another strong eye connection, even though it won't last long. The duration of eye contact might increase if your baby is well-rested, alert or hungry. You might also increase eye contact awareness by loosening her blankets and swaddling so she feels comfortable but slightly less warm and cozy.

    Patience Is a Virtue

    • Even though you long to have extended sessions of eye contact with your baby, it probably won't happen until the third month. At that time, he will start to focus intently on your eyes and might smile briefly or coo at your voice. Feeding time is the most ideal time to develop eye contact because you're a strong focal point. You might smile, open your eyes wide, blink, stick out your tongue or make kissing noises. If you wear glasses, put them on frequently so your baby gets used to seeing them on your face.

    No Jumping to Conclusions

    • If your baby hasn't started making eye contact with you by the end of the third month, contact your family doctor or pediatrician. The doctor might perform some tests to rule out eye diseases or developmental problems. Dr. Martin Stein, director of developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, encourages parents not to worry or assume the worst, according to "Parenting" magazine. Stein says newborns develop at different rates and it could be that you are trying to establish eye contact at wrong times of the day or night. Your newborn must be comfortable and alert to engage in eye contact.

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