As a mother, you might have noticed, on one or several occasions, how infants widen their eyes for no reason, or so you thought.
Probably not from your child; it could be from the child of a relative or a friend.
The point is many mothers have admitted that their infants widen their eyes on several occasions.
Sadly, this issue has been misinterpreted a lot.
And to that effect, we’ve decided to enlighten the mothers about understanding the habit of infants opening their eyes wide.
There is a high chance that you are worried and clueless about why your infant baby opens their eyes wide, especially when it seems like a habit.
Perhaps you must have experienced this with your baby, and it’s almost certain.
So, I suppose it’s part of the reason you are reading this article in the first place.
Or maybe, you’re just trying to get the knowledge for future reference.
Either way, you are in the right place.
Follow through as we delve into understanding the habit of infants opening their eyes wide.
A Sneak Peek Into The Habits Of Infants

Habits, they say, are easy to form but difficult to break.
Infants are often known to exhibit certain habits and behaviors that can put parents and caregivers (first-timers especially) in a place of panic.
Simply put, any activity your baby finds pleasure in repeatedly doing without giving a thought can well be described as a habit.
Pediatric experts believe that habits provide infants with a sense of comfort and also serve as a means of alleviating stress.
While some infants are conscious of their habits, some are not, and while some do what they do out of boredom or the quest for adult attention, some do so purely for entertainment.
Weird as it may sound, your infant will most likely figure out a means of entertaining themselves while engaging in a real-life activity.
And that form of self-entertainment might come in various forms, like thumb sucking, which is one of the most everyday infant habits.
Understanding Infants’ Vision
Understanding that their vision tickles in once your baby is born and paves the way for slow but steady development is essential.
At birth, your baby’s eyes have a visual insight 20/400 which rapidly develops to the adult level of 20/20 at ages three to five.
Still, this rapid growth depends on the level of care and attention offered to infants between the ages of three and five.
As much as they learn to crawl, walk and talk, infants also learn to use their sense of sight over time since they are not born with certain visual abilities that come with the strength of being an adult.
This learning of how to use the eyes ranges from retaining the ability to focus their eyes on an object, revolve around them accurately, and use them together as a team.
It also relates to the ability to use the information the eyes send to the brain to enable them to understand and interact with the environment.
From birth, infants begin to explore the worlds of their new adventure by studying the environment with their eyes and trying to adjust them to fit in even before they learn how to stretch out their hands and grab their mother’s breasts.
It is certain that at this stage, 85% of mothers know the fact that their timely and perfect bonding with the baby aids in rapid and proper visual development.
Understanding Why Infants Open Their Eyes Wide
Let’s begin by establishing that your baby opening their eyes wide is very normal and does not call for panic.
Your infant will begin to open their eyes wide very often when they are about three to six months of age.
At this stage, their cycle of visual development evolves from seeing objects about ten to thirteen inches apart to seeing objects a bit distant.
When they begin to see clearly, stretching and opening their eyes wider to accommodate more light and vision is almost natural.
Let’s say it’s their unique way of adjusting to the new environment and getting accustomed to the new normalcy of improved eyesight.
Another probable reason your infant would open their eyes wide is that they are either anxious or trying to process some information you may not know the least about.
But not to worry, these things only happen during infancy and are supposed to end or give way to a more mature behavior once they have passed that stage of their lives.
Also, infants are known to repeatedly exhibit behaviors that tend to attract the attention of adults.
So, if your baby figures out that opening their eyes wide is what it would take to give them the attention they desire, then rest assured that they won’t relent in efforts to do that over and over again.
Tricky right? Yeah, that’s what they do best.
What Can I Do When My Infant Opens Their Eyes Wide?
As mentioned earlier, you do not have to work yourself out when you find your baby opening its eyes wide.
No medical report labels such behavior as a defect, and as long as it doesn’t cause your baby discomfort, you are safe.
However, if you still feel worried about this and other habits your infant would likely exhibit, you can always contact your pediatrician for assistance.
Conclusion
Understand that infants will always keep to the habit of opening their eyes wide, and you can’t do much about it. It’s a habit, remember?
And infants are not so much in control of their behaviors. Besides, in most cases, the habit of infants opening their eyes wide is a struggle for improved vision.
They’ll have to pay some price as their vision improves daily.
The best you can do is always be on the lookout for times when the behavior is a call for help.
At the same time, waiting for the day they’ll outgrow the habit of opening their eyes wide.