Babies Blinking

The average rate for newborns to blink is less than twice per minute, compared to 10-15 times a minute for adults. If you've noticed your baby has started blinking excessively, there are a number of possible reasons for this:

Show Off His New Skills

Your baby may be trying out their recently discovered eye muscle! Testing out their control of their eyelid is fascinating for any baby, and the excessive eye blinking will only last one to two weeks.

Allergies or Dry Eyes

If your baby's eye blinking lasts longer than this, it could be a sign of dry eyes or allergies. Your baby's eyes can get dry if they don't get enough sleep, if you have a dry house, or have a fan on which blows onto their face. Turns fans off and use a humidifier in your home. If your baby's eye blinking is accompanied by him rubbing his eyes and his eyes becoming red, it may be an allergy, so take your baby to the doctor.

Blinking Due To Tics

Although more common in older children, some babies' eye blinking is due to a nervous tic, which causes them to blink excessively. A tic doesn't cause any damage, and most tics go away in time. Transient tics last from a few weeks to a year. If your baby gets a tic, the best course of action is ignore it. If you point it out, to your baby or others, it will make the tic worse as your baby will feel more anxious about it.

More Serious Conditions

Excessive eye blinking can also be a sign of more serious problems, such as brain tumours, tourettes syndrome, seizures and eye abnormalities. See a doctor about your baby's eye blinking to rule out these conditions. Your doctor will also be able to advise you on what is the likely cause for your particular baby's eye blinking.