Blinded my newborn eyes ( feels worst mum)

[3under5babies]

My newborn is 15 days old. I have been obsessively taking picture of her because she’s the first with light eyes in my children. I used flash light and close to her face at least 15 times since she was born to capture her eyes when she’s awake. I never thought about flash light can be damaging.
now I feel worst mum and it just hit me that flash light could have damaged or blinded ?
am I over reacting. I am having a full panic right now and I don’t know who to ask. I will call ophthalmologist next to us tomorrow to see if they can advice !

It probably won't cause permanent damage as long as you're not doing it constantly but it's not nice for the baby. I shone a torch in my eyes last night by mistake and couldn't see proper for a while. That wasn't pleasant and I knew. What had happened am I'd be fine. Your baby doesn't know that.

I have not googled and have no real idea but I imagine all absolutely fine. Otherwise there would be warnings! Also, think of us babies in the 60s and 70s with big flash bulbs on cameras? Please don't worry.

Actually, reread. Don't use a torch in the eyes as would be uncomfortable...

Why would you even use the flash in your baby’s eyes?!

It will be fine. The newborn health check and/or 6 week check includes a pupil reflex test, which involves shining a fairly bright torch in their eyes.

Iam in A&E right now because she looks jaundice so I’ll ask paediatrician when we get seen about the flash. Thank you for everyone replies ❤️

Hope the jaundice clears up soon and let us know what the paed says ❤️

Why would you use a flash on your babies eyes?
If you do this I dread to think what else you'll do.

I don't think using flash would cause permanent damage, but is probably quite unpleasant for your baby.

My eyes were a greyish/blue when I was born and are now very dark brown, so your baby's eyes may not stay their current colour anyway.

You haven't blinded her. Humans have a blink reflex that prevents too much strong light getting in, but in any case a camera flash is so quick the exposure to light is tiny.
The only light that can damage eyes before the blink reflex kicks in is a high powered laser.

What a ridiculous statement 🙄

My DH did this by accident when my DS was literally 5 minutes old. First picture of him and he literally blinded him I was furious! Anyway he’s 8 months now and completely fine!

Why is it such a big deal that your baby had light coloured eyes? You make it sound like this is a better or more prized gel feature. I feel sorry for your other kids, as clearly their mum doesn’t think their eyes are special. So superficial.

Please don't be one of them with the eyes
I'm sure your other kids eyes are just as beautiful.

Have you always been prone to being unnecessarily dramatic or is it just for the purpose of making a new mother feel shit on an anonymous forum? You’re so big and clever - not. I hope you feel like the moron that you’ve made yourself look here to everyone else. What an utterly bizarre comment to make.

I love all my babies eyes. I have brown eyes and my husband have a light green eyes. She’s our last baby and I just wanted one of my babies to have my husband eyes because I love him. Not because I don’t like brown etc. my kids are so beautiful regardless of the eye colour. Anyways we just finished A&E. her jaundice went to 79 which makes me so happy and I asked about the flash light and they just dismissed it and said some babies get a whole professional photoshoot and they fine. Anyways I’ll sleep like a baby tonight hahaha but I won’t do it again because I don’t need to increase my anxiety level ❤️

What? He didn’t literally blind your son, or he wouldn’t be fine now!

Eye colour changes anyway. They might still have hazel eyes.

What a horrible comment. Clearly a new mum struggling a little with some anxiety which is totally normal for new mums, and you feel the need to post a comment like this ?! We all make mistakes and don't think sometimes. I hope you feel like a better person for kicking someone when they're down.

And another twatty comment. What is wrong with people ?! Where did the op say her newborns eyes are better than her other kids'? 🙄🙄

Yes I do know this 🙄

just pointing out to the OP that she’s not the only one that’s accidentally had the flash on when taking a picture. Her baby will be fine.

* I used flash light and close to her face at least 15 times*

I do think this is a bit absurd though? Surely anyone would figure that putting a camera flash up to a newborn baby's face repeatedly wouldn't be nice? Doing it accidentally once or twice is one thing, I imagine lots of us have done that, but purposefully doing it over and over again is very odd.

I don't think you need to panic but I wouldn't be doing it again.

Just be more mindful about how and why you are taking photos. It seems to be the default thing now, something happens and we whip the camera out - I mean no one actually rewatches the firework display they captured did they, you'd watch a professionally captured one on YT instead. Take photos you think you'd actually get developed otherwise you just end up with a phone full of them which barely ever get looked it and miss out on the actual interactions you could have been having. Capture key moments, not every moment.

How do you think photographers capture newborn images? They use either flash or a huge soft box.