Lack of eye contact up close 6 months

[Oakley0110]

I’m looking for advice my little boy is 6 months and when up close doesn’t like looking at me from a distance very engaging laughing smiling and when lying down. But when on my knee rarely looks me up close I’m in an anxious state and really beginning to worry about his future

has anyone had similar and baby has turned out neurotypical?

My boy is exactly the same, and the same age as yours. I researched it heavily a few weeks ago and apparently it’s very common! I found so many posts about it on different forums that it really reassured me.

I also found out that from this age babies will start to look at our mouths more than our eyes due to learning about language and sounds - this carries on until around ten months when they’ll start to look at our eyes again.

@victorianpattern thanks for your reply. I’ve not been sleeping in sick with worry.

how are you coping with it all? Other babies his age I see engaging close up with their parents and mine just wants to look anywhere but at me while on knee.

thanks again for reply I feel scared and alone and worried

x

Well I am reassured by the fact that he is very social in other ways - he’ll smile at people when we’re out and about, and as you say, he’s interacting and looking at other people when he’s being changed or in the pram or on the floor or across the room etc. I saw a post on here about this and someone replied that the baby feels safe and secure when they’re on the knee so they can be more interested in exploring what’s around them. Honestly I do think it’s common for them not to be looking at whoever is holding them from what I have researched.

Have you completed the ASQ-6 months questionnaire? I’ve found them helpful to check how DS is doing (there is a 2 and 4 months one too etc).

I think you’re right, it would possibly be useful for the OP to fill in the 6 months Ages & Stages. Do bear in mind though @Oakley0110that most DC will score grey in at least 2 areas. This doesn’t mean that anything is wrong, just that all babies develop differently. You should speak to your HV though if they are scoring grey in more than two areas or if they score black in any area

@BunnyRuddington @victorianpattern Thank you for your replies. He scores in the white just for this. Does this mean he is ok just now?
nothing is helping me shift this anxious and pain I feel when I have to take him out in public and he’s into the trees or someone kicking a ball further away and barely taking people on or not for long anyway back to the other things! I really hope it changes soon :(

thanks again

So he’s in the white for communication? Sounds like he’s on track then.

Is there a reason that you’re particularly anxious right now?

@BunnyRuddington Yeah he does most things, he doesn’t know his name yet though. And is very distracted with toys or my dog or even trees at a park.

my concern is as he isn’t good at eyecontact when on my lap or hubbys I feel he isn’t that social :(

thansk so much for your response

@victorianpattern hey how is your little one doing? Xx

Any update on this ? X

My DS has just turned nine months. He still doesn’t really make eye contact when he’s being held.

That said, he actively seeks eye contact from other adults and children, whether he’s in the pram, being held (by me), on the playmat etc. He smiles at people and tries to touch or ‘hold hands’ with other babies. He loves looking at himself and me in the mirror, and reaching out to it.

It’s just when he’s being held that he would much rather look at what’s going on in the environment than at who’s holding him. Whether that’s down to some sort of attachment psychology (we are the same person?) I have no idea. But I am cautiously optimistic that he’s ’okay.’

How’s your little one @Oakley0110?

@victorianpattern he is the same if I’m honest. Not that much eye contact up close.

how is your little one? And how old is he now xx

@Oakley0110 hi just wondering how your little one is doing? My 7 month old is the same.

Hi @Oakley0110 how is your little boy now?