Why do babies stare at you

Many new parents begin to notice their infant staring at particular people randomly, which may lead them to think, “why do babies stare?” Although this staring behavior can be concerning, it is not worrisome.

Most babies stare at people out of curiosity as they get to know them. Sometimes, they may be attracted to a person’s eyeglasses or bushy beard and stare at them out of curiosity. In addition, some babies may stare at objects, ceilings, and walls, indicating that their vision is developing on the right track.

Read on to understand why babies stare so intently and when you should be concerned about it.

Understanding A Baby’s Vision

In order to know why babies stare, we first need to understand their vision (1) (2). Below are some salient points about a baby’s developing eyes and vision.

• Newborns are quite sensitive to light at birth. Their pupils become very small when exposed to bright light.

• Objects located to the baby’s side are more easily visible to them through their peripheral or side vision. However, they cannot see far away things clearly as their central vision is still developing.

• For the first 2 months babies’ eyes may appear crossed or may seem to wander to the sides. It is usually normal but if one of the eyes is constantly turned inward or outward (towards the nose or away from the nose respectively) consult a pediatrician.

• By three months of age a baby can best focus on objects that are eight to 12 inches away. They can look into their mom’s or dad’s eyes if they are close to them. Anything farther than that would be out of focus and blurred.

• At around five months a baby develops the ability to see how far an object is from them (depth perception). They get better at reaching out to objects then. They may have colour vision but it is still developing.

Thus, babies are more attracted to human faces, followed by bright colors, images with contrasting colors or patterns, and moving objects..

Why Do Babies Stare?

After understanding a baby’s vision, it is evident that babies stare at objects and people as they find them interesting. A baby’s vision is not fully developed, and they are mostly attracted to light, moving objects, such as ceiling fans, and objects with contrasting colors (3).

By the age of six to eight weeks, as their vision is better developed than before, they would often focus on human faces. It eventually causes a change in preference from staring at inanimate objects to staring at faces.

What Do Babies Stare At?

Babies usually stare at the following things.

• Ceiling fans and moving objects: Sensory experiences, such as looking at moving objects and high contrast pictures, stimulate babies’ rapidly developing brains. Ceiling fans often cause intense stimulation and catch their brain’s attention. If your baby is staring at a ceiling fan or any other moving object, fret not as it is part of their visual development.

• Attractive faces: Research notes that human infants tend to stare at attractive faces even when they are a few days old (4). Infants who are three to four months of age prefer staring at the attractive face when shown images of attractive and less attractive faces. The perception of attractiveness may vary among babies. An attractive face is usually the one with some striking feature that holds the baby’s attention.

• Different features: A unique feature of an object or a face is likely to keep the baby interested and make them stare at it. Interesting and unique features may include colorful hair, long beard, eyeglasses, moving parts of a machine, lights of a vehicle, and different textures.

• Contrasting things: It could be two contrasting colors or contrasting outlines, such as the surface of a wall meeting the edge of a table. Babies tend to find it interesting and stare at it for longer.

• At nothing: Sometimes, babies appear to stare at empty space, and it is nothing to worry about. Since their vision system is still developing, they may randomly look at places beyond the range of their vision. If they are staring at nothing, it indicates they are exercising their eyes and vision to see things clearly eventually.

If your baby is staring at none of the above-listed things, don’t worry. As each month passes, they should be able to focus on an object, track a moving object, reach for an object, and even recognize and recall things (1).

When To Worry About A Baby’s Staring Habit?

If a baby is staring for prolonged periods especially if he/she is either poorly responsive to distraction measures or is irritable during that time it is advisable to consult a pediatrician as it could be a type of seizure. If possible a video clip of the episode should be recorded for the doctor to review.

The habit of staring is usually quite common up to the age of four months. If it persists beyond four months, you may consult a pediatrician or a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Some other signs to look out for are (5) (6):

• Baby’s eyes appear crossed or seem to wander randomly.

• The pupils appear white or have a cloudy appearance.

• The baby does not pay attention to faces by two months of age.

• The baby does not track moving objects by four months of age.

The habit of staring among newborns and babies below four months of age is common and is usually not a cause of concern but if at any time it worries a caregiver for any reason, medical consultation should be sought. Parents can help the baby exercise their vision by giving them bright and high-contrast toys. As the baby grows older, their vision and cognitive functions become better, and they grow more adept at using their eyes for recognition and recall of information.

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.

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Dr. Pooja Parikh is a pediatrician whose medical journey has taken her from Rajkot (PDUMC) to Vadodara (SSGH) to Mumbai (Hinduja & Breachcandy Hospital). Currently she is actively involved in critical, intensive and general care of 0 to 18-year-olds in the port town of Gandhidham, where she was born and brought up. She believes that a doctor should be involved... more

New parents are always fascinated and worried about any and everything their baby does. The ever-vigilant new parent keeps a close eye on everything- big or small, their bundle of joy does. From their smile to what they stare at, the parent keeps track of everything. The baby’s smile brings joy to the parents, but when the baby keeps staring at one person or object, the parents get worried. When the baby stares once or twice, they think it is random. However, when they notice frequent staring at a single thing/person ignoring everything around them, it is natural for the parent to get worried.  

Keep reading to understand your baby’s vision and the reasons behind staring intently at one particular thing.  

What You Need to Know About a Baby’s Vision

To understand why your baby stares, you first need to know about their vision. Below are some important points about your baby’s developing eyes and vision:

• As newborn babies are sensitive to light, their pupil size becomes very small when exposed to bright lights.
• Things located near the baby are more easily visible than far-away things. This is because their central vision is still in the developing stage, whereas their side or peripheral vision is more developed.
• You may see your baby’s eye cross or go towards the side for the first two months.
• As your baby turns three months old, they can focus on objects kept 8 to 12 inches away.
• As your baby turns five months old, they develop depth perception, i.e., the ability to gauge how far anything is from them.

Why Does Baby Stare?

Once you understand your baby’s vision, it becomes clear that your baby stares at people and objects they find interesting. As your young baby’s vision is not fully developed yet, they are more attracted to bright things, moving, or things with contrasting colors. Therefore, often you will find your baby staring at colorful things or ceiling fans. As your baby reaches its sixth or eighth week, its vision is better than before. At this time, they start to focus on faces, and now their staring preference shifts from inanimate objects to people. 

What Things Do Babies Stare at?

Wondering what attracts the attention of your baby? Well, here are the things your baby finds worthy of staring:

1. Moving Objects

Looking at moving objects such as ceiling fans stimulates your baby’s rapidly developing brain. So looking at moving objects creates stimulation and catches your baby’s attention, and it is also an important part of your baby’s visual development. 

Your baby loves to stare at attractive faces even when they are three or four days old. Some striking features of a face your baby will find attractive and will hold their attention. 

3. Unique Features

Some unique features of a face or object will make your baby interested and hold its attention. The unique feature could be eyeglasses, beards, colorful hair or lights, or different texture. 

4. Contrasting Things

You may often find your baby staring at contrasting colors or outlines as they intrigue them. 

5. Nothing

Sometimes you see your baby staring at space with a smile. You wonder why do babies stare at nothing and smile. Your baby’s vision is developing, so it’s normal for them to look at spaces beyond their eye vision range. So when you see your baby staring at nothing, know that it means your baby is exercising their vision and eyes to see things eventually.

Common Reasons Why Babies Stare

Some of the common reasons for your baby to stare are:

1. To Know the World Around Them

Your baby is born with 20/200 vision. So to look at things located at a distance, they need to stare to make sense of what they are looking at. Also, they are fascinated with moving things, such as your lip/eye movement. So to know you and things around them, baby stares. 

2. When They Are Tired

When your baby is tired or sleepy, they stare as they cannot stop looking at exciting things around them. 

3. To Communicate

Your baby can’t communicate with you through words or smiles, so it stares at you to connect with you. 

4. When Something Interests Them or Catches Their Attention

Your baby will stare at anything that fascinates them or holds their attention. Sometimes they may keep looking at a unique or different thing too. 

Why Does a Baby Stare at You and Other Family Members?

Have you ever wondered why babies stare? Here are the reasons why your baby stares at you and other family members:

1. You Fascinate Them

Your baby finds faces fascinating, so they stare at you and other family members’ faces. It is also their way of bonding with you. 

2. Listen to Your Voice

Your baby is still developing their vision, so they hear your sound and turn towards you. They are naturally drawn to your voice. 

3. Attracted to Your Jewelry or Glasses

Your baby finds your jewelry or glasses or some other thing interesting. So they are drawn to them and look at them intently. 

4. You Are Good Looking

The most common reason for your baby to stare at you or other family members is that you are attractive. Babies love to look at attractive faces. 

Why Does a Baby Stare at Objects and Open Spaces?

You may wonder why your baby stares at objects or open spaces. Below are some reasons for your baby’s behavior:

Baby Stares at Objects

When your baby stares at objects, it is due to the following reasons:

1. Movement – Your baby is fascinated by their movement.
2. Color and pattern – Bright colors or contrasting patterns intrigue your baby. So your baby stares at sparkly objects, bright lights, and colorful objects.
3. New/different object – When your baby sees something new or different, they find it fascinating.

Baby Stares Into Open Spaces

Sometimes you will see your baby staring at nothing or just looking into space. It is due to the following reasons:

1. Processing the surroundings – Your baby is absorbing its surroundings and the things in its vicinity. Their little brain processes all the new things it sees and understands.
2. Everything is fascinating – For your little one, everything is new and fascinating. So whatever captures the infant’s attention, whether an object or open space, they stare at it.
3. Just checking – As everything is new for your baby, they may stare at space to check it out.

Why Does a Baby Stare While Breastfeeding?

Newborn babies or babies a few months old have eyesight developed enough to look at their mother’s faces. So while breastfeeding, they stare at their mother’s face or make eye contact with her to interact with her. So while breastfeeding, your baby will stare at you to communicate or form a bond with you. 

Why Does a Baby Stare at the Ceiling and Lights?

Your baby keeps staring at the ceiling or lights. There are a few reasons behind this. Most babies stare at lights or ceiling because they cannot control their head movements. Due to their low eyesight, babies stare at something bright or something moving. Sometimes the ceiling draws their attention due to its lines, light fixtures, fan, or shadows of fixtures falling on it.

Why Does Baby Stare at Strangers?

Your baby stares at strangers when you are out, and you wonder why babies stare at people they don’t know. It is because your baby finds the strangers look different or similar to its family members, or they find them interesting. Sometimes the stranger may catch your baby’s attention by their distinct feature or accessory such as beards or eyeglasses.

Amazing Facts About a Baby’s Vision

Some amazing facts about a baby’s vision are:

• Babies’ eyes are highly sensitive to light. So when exposed to bright lights, a baby’s pupils constrict. Bright lights also wake up their senses and make them more alert.
• A baby’s central vision is growing, so they can clearly see things near them and have difficulty seeing objects at a distance, or the faraway objects look blurry.
• A baby can differentiate between patterns and textures based on light and dark colors. They also have a fondness for bright colors and large shapes.
• Babies like to stare at bright objects. This is the reason why baby toys are in bright colors.

When Should You Worry About Baby’s Staring?

Though staring is normal in young babies and often has no cause of concern, there are still signs that you should look out for. If these starting signs are present in your baby, you should consult a pediatrician. The signs are:

• Your baby’s eyes look crossed or sometimes wander randomly.
• Your baby’s pupils have a cloudy look or appear white.
• Your baby is two months old and still is not paying attention to faces.
• Your baby is four-month-old and still doesn’t track moving objects.

Young babies change a lot in their first year. Your baby will develop their vision and stare at different things to observe and understand. However, if you notice something off or are concerned about your baby’s vision or behavior, it’s always better to consult your baby’s pediatrician.  

Also Read:

Eye Problems in Infants
Why Does Infant Stare at your Hands
Why Does Infant Smile In their Sleep