Baby looking upward with eyes partially rolled back

Baby Eyes Rolling Back

Last Updated: December 28, 2025
Young parents often do not understand the behavior of the baby. Moms and dads anxiety is caused by baby eyes rolling back. The eyelids of a newborn open, the eye sockets roll back and only whites are visible during sleep or rest. This is normal for babies who have not gone beyond the neonatal period.

It is necessary to observe the child. Record changes in behavior that cause anxiety in parents. Rolling eyes in children under one year old is not a pathology in most cases. A pediatrician can recognize a serious illness in a baby who rolls his eyes. Parents should consult a doctor not to miss the formation of neurological disease.

Is it Normal for Babies to Roll Their Eyes Back?

The body of a newborn child continues to develop rapidly in the first months of life. This also applies to the organs of vision. The baby cannot control the unformed eye sockets. Child is not yet able to focus his eyes. Baby tries to examine the objects placed above his head by rolling his eyes.

Rolling eyes in the first weeks of life is considered quite normal. Babies raise their eye sockets up during wakefulness, sleep, and feeding. All strength of the baby is directed to the extraction of food while sucking the breast. Other organs relax including visual ones.

Visual organs in infants become more developed when the neonatal period ends (the first 28 days of a child’s life). The kid learns to keep an object in sight, focus on people and objects. Rolling eye sockets in children from one month old under the upper eyelid may indicate the formation of pathologies.

Doctors are more concerned when the child “hides” the pupil down. This may be a symptom of neurological disease. Parents need to monitor the type of rolling of the eye sockets. In cases where the pupils twitch to the sides, move in different directions, a nervous tic occurs, you should immediately contact pediatrician.

Baby Eyes Rolling Back during Sleep

Newborn babies often roll their eyes as they fall asleep. You can see the eyeball from under the open eyelids during sleep. Pediatricians explain that in 90% of cases this is the norm for babies. When the baby is on the verge of wakefulness and sleeps his eye muscles relax the pupil comes under the upper eyelid.

Six muscles are responsible for the movements of the eyeball in the baby. The baby cannot control them in the first weeks of life and during the period of relaxation the pupils “hide” up. Older children (up to 12-18 months) can roll eyes too. The cause of the phenomenon is mainly a habit, a game, the study of the capabilities of one’s body.

If the baby continues to roll his eyes during sleep after one month, parents should carefully monitor the condition of the baby. When the process is accompanied by strong crying, convulsions it is necessary to seek medical help. Consult with a pediatrician and a neurologist.

8 Reasons Why Baby Eyes Roll Back

Eye rolling is completely normal in the first months of life if the child does not experience discomfort. Healthy children gradually get rid of this habit in the process of development. Most babies fully control the movement of the eye sockets for up to a year.

There are cases when the rolling of the pupil up continues in children aged from one month. This physiological feature often worries parents. There are several reasons why babies roll their pupils under their upper eyelids when active or while sleeping.

  • Underdevelopment of the eye muscles

    associated with the age of the child. Rolling eyes in babies is considered normal from birth to one month. Children do not yet know how to control the muscles responsible for the work of the eyeballs. If the baby is in a state of calm or before going to bed “hides” the pupil under the upper eyelid without changes in his behavior.

  • Paroxysmal tonic gaze

    – This is a genetic disease that manifests itself after infection with pathogenic microorganisms. The disease does not pose a threat to the life of the baby. It is important to diagnose it on time and start treatment. There may be a delay in the mental development of the child with untimely treatment.

  • Epilepsy attack

    – Rolling pupils down may indicate epileptic seizures when accompanied by bouts of crying. The disease rarely occurs in children under 12 months of age. In this case, the child rolls his eyes down during the day and the pupils remain in the correct position during sleep. A symptom of an epileptic seizure is the lack of reaction of the baby to extraneous stimuli, twitching of the arms and legs.

  • Inflammation of the tonsils, otitis, sore throat

    – The baby cannot talk about what is bothering him. The kid is trying to improve his condition by moving his eyes. The baby needs to be monitored. It is important to contact a pediatrician in time if symptoms of acute respiratory infections are noticed. The baby can roll his eyes when the temperature rises.

  • Increased intracranial pressure

    – Most often manifested after the fall of the child or other injuries. The kid rolls his eyes and vomits. This symptom cannot be ignored. You must immediately call an ambulance.

  • Graefe’s symptom

    – It is also called a symptom of the setting sun. This is a condition in which a child’s eyes roll downwards in their sleep. Infants suffer from the symptom of Graefe. It goes away on its own when the baby reaches six months of age.

  • Increased/decreased facial muscle tone

    – Pediatricians diagnose a developmental feature and give recommendations on how to perform exercises. Parents can make them. It is necessary to interest the child in a toy or other object. Drive in front of his eyes until he gets tired. Moving toys hung above the crib also train the facial muscles.

  • Hypertonicity of the eye muscles

    – A doctor can determine hypertonicity at scheduled examinations. The condition is easy to correct with exercise. Parents are encouraged to interest the baby in a bright object. Then bring it up and move it away from the child. The baby must continue to follow the toy with his eyes when it is at different distances.

Older children (4-10 years old) may also roll their eyes. Often the cause of the phenomenon is stress or a nervous tic. The child may blink, twitch his eyebrows, tilt his head, and roll his eyes. The diagnosis is established by a neurologist and prescribes treatment for a nervous tic individually for each patient.

When to Worry and Consult a Doctor

Rolling eyes in newborns should not cause concern to parents if the child develops normally and behaves calmly. Difficulties with falling asleep or early awakening of the baby should alert. If rolling pupils are accompanied by anxiety, increased excitability, tilting the head back, you should consult a doctor.

Alarming symptoms in newborns are nausea, frequent regurgitation, jaw trembling. Rolling eyes accompanied by loss of appetite or difficulty feeding. This indicates the need for immediate consultation with a pediatrician.

It is important to contact a specialist if a one-year-old child has a deterioration in the coordination of movements in parallel with rolling eyes. Sometimes children may stumble upon an obstacle and not notice it while walking. An increase in body temperature with the described symptoms may indicate a malfunction of the brain or intoxication of the body.

Doctors can diagnose hypertonicity of the eyes and facial muscles. After examining an oculist and a neurologist select a set of exercises that can be performed at home (gymnastics for the eyes, massage) and in the hospital (physiotherapy).

In no case should you self-medicate. It is forbidden to use folk methods to combat eye rolling. Only a pediatrician can make a correct diagnosis for a child. You should discuss with your doctor the points that cause anxiety in parents. There are no trifles when it comes to the health of a child.

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