Microcephaly and Cerebral Palsy
Jul 29, 2025
Why My Baby May Not Be Seeing — A Look at Head Shape and Vision
Many parents worry when their child isn’t making eye contact, playing with their hands, or sitting up. While diagnoses like cerebral palsy or seizures are often discussed, the shape of your baby’s head and how their eyes are positioned may play a much bigger role than most people realize.
Head Shape Affects How a Baby Sees
In typical development:
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A baby’s eyes and ears are level when lying on their back.
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This balance helps them see their own body — their hands, feet, and belly — and learn to move.
But in some babies with:
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Microcephaly (small head size)
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Plagiocephaly (flatness or asymmetry of the head)
…the eyes may sit too high above the ears.
Why This Matters:
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When the eyes are too high, the baby can’t see their own body.
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This makes it harder to:
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Bring hands to mouth
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See feet
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Watch movement
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Learn body awareness
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The baby’s balance system also breaks down, making it hard or even impossible to sit up or move forward.
The Body Works Like a Seesaw
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Looking down helps the back of the head and neck respond, which builds strength to roll and sit.
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But when the eyes are too far above the ears, this “seesaw” is broken.
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Your baby might look like they’re trying — but the structure just isn’t there yet.
What This Isn’t:
This isn’t about muscle weakness, motivation, or delay alone. It’s about:
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Vision is not in the right place
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The head is not giving the body the right signals
What You Can Do:
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Have someone check if your baby’s eyes are positioned too high above their ears when lying down.
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Support movement that brings eyes, ears, and body back into line — not just more tummy time.
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Ask about gentle, functional movement work — such as Movement Lesson™ — that can help reestablish the foundation.
Do our Head and Vision Course:
