Do newborn babies blink less than adults?

Do babies blink less

Three words, sent in the middle of an ordinary afternoon. Once you notice the staring you can't stop noticing it — she'd fix on a face for what felt like minutes without a single blink.

They do blink far less than adults. Nobody's entirely sure why. The suggestions include that their eyes are less exposed, that they're taking in less visual information, and that tear production is still getting going.

Don't count them

We tried. A blink rate isn't a useful measurement — it changes with how awake she is, the light, whether she's concentrating, whether her eyes are comfortable.

All counting does is give you a number to be anxious about, which we can report from experience.

What's worth looking at instead

The eye itself, rather than the blink rate. A newborn’s eyes can occasionally wander or cross while they are learning to work together. What is worth checking is an eye that regularly turns in or out, seems stuck, looks cloudy, will not close fully, or has redness or discharge that keeps coming back.

A bit of sticky eye in the early weeks is very common and usually a blocked tear duct rather than an infection, but that's a call for someone who can look at it, not for you at home.

Her eyes did get checked

A paediatrician shone a light into each eye to see whether she reacted, and she closed each one as it was done. It's a small thing and it isn't a full eye test, but standing there watching her respond was one of the better moments of that week.

Ask when a proper check is due, particularly if she was born early. And in the meantime, enjoy the stare. She's working out what a face is.