Sight

The eyes of the infant are very sensitive to the light and every effort is made by the child to avoid bright light and thus protect the eyes from glare; the eyes will innately close when a bright light is brought before them. For the protection of the infant’s eyes the room should be kept darkened for the first few weeks. A subdued light will usually attract the attention of an infant and as early as the sixth day the child may even turn the head in an effort to follow the light with the eyes.

It is not uncommon for the eyelids to remain partly separated during sleep and for the movement to be more or less irregular during the first few weeks of life. The muscles of the eyeballs do not always coördinate in their action. This often results in temporary strabismus when the infant is looking intently at an object. Perfect coördinate action is often as late as the third or fourth month.