Mom Makes Bizarre Realization About 8-Month-Old Daughter—’Is That Normal?’

A mom from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has shared a peculiar observation about her baby girl and is eager to know whether it is normal.

Lana Kearney sought advice from social-media users as she expressed her concerns that her 8-month-old does not blink.

The mom-of-two told Newsweek that her daughter’s ability to stare without blinking had been noticed much earlier.

“We realized quite early on, when she was about 3 months [old]. People would often remark on the fact that she loved to stare really intensely,” she said.

Curious about her daughter’s behavior, Kearney decided to consult her health visitor (midwife) who said it was nothing to be concerned about.

“She said that babies don’t blink as frequently as adults, and it would be an issue if she never blinked at all or if she had issues with her vision,” the 33-year-old told Newsweek.

Her baby sleeps with her eyes open, Kearney said in her video. The mom asked other social-media users, “do your kids do that?” She added that sometimes she has to wave a hand over her baby’s face because she is unsure whether her daughter is asleep.

The clip has been viewed over 93,000 times since it was posted on June 13 and captured the attention from other parents who shared their thoughts.

“My daughter can’t burp,” one TikTok user commented, while another wrote that both of their kids would sleep with one eye open and their eldest talks in their sleep.

Another TikTok user posted that their son sleeps with his eyes open, too: “He also laughs in his sleep which is freaky,” they added.

Paul Michael Mann MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and founder at Mann Eye Institute, told Newsweek that what Kearney described was indeed normal for an infant.

“Blinking is a reflex that helps keep the eyes lubricated, but in infants, this reflex is not as fully developed as it is for older people; even toddlers and children,” Mann said.

He added that babies’ eyes do not require the same level of moisture as adults, and since their visual systems are still maturing, they don’t need to blink as often.

“Blinking is also a habit that is formed as you grow, and infants will develop a pattern of their own over time,” Mann added.

However, Mann said that, unless the baby shows signs of eye discomfort or dryness, there is no need for concern.

“Unless you find the infant is rubbing their eyes, seems to have some discomfort, or it looks like something is wrong, there’s nothing to worry about,” he told Newsweek.