I am pregnant. What can I do to ensure my baby’s eyes are healthy?
Development starts at about the second week after conception and continues for up to two years after birth. If the mother takes certain drugs, or gets rubella (German measles) while pregnant, this can affect the baby’s eyes before it is born. Rubella can cause severe birth defects if the mother gets it early in the pregnancy, so women who plan to get pregnant should get vaccinated before they get pregnant if they have not been exposed before. If the mother gets a disease called toxomoplasmosis while pregnant, this parasite can be transmitted to the baby and may cause an infection and scarring of the retina. Proper maternal nutrition is key to healthy baby development, and this includes the eyes. If you smoke, try to stop during pregnancy. Smoking is associated with low birth-weight babies and also premature births.
My baby’s Eyes do not appear to be focusing on anything. Is this normal?
At birth, a baby’s eye is not fully developed. The baby’s eye is about
