I have a 9 week old baby. I took her to the doctors today, I told him she looks past me and shows no interest in toys and her eyes do not follow objects. he shined a light in her eyes and her pupils reacted so he said she wasnt blind but wanted her to have an opthomologist take a look at her anyway.

I was doing some research on the internet and ran across the dx of autism. to me she fits many of the things to look for, but I read that usually doctors do not dx it until a child is 1-3 years old. Is 9 weeks too soon to show signs?

You could probably see some signs that early, but you probably would not be able to get an autism diagnosis until the baby is between 12-18 months. My son was diagnosed at 18 months even though we were suspicious a lot earlier. Do you have any history of autism in your family?

At 9 weeks, babies are still getting to know the world around them, so it may be nothing. But I always tell parents to go with your gut. If your gut tells you something is wrong, then follow that sense and get some more testing.

Does the baby try to interact with you at all? Usually around that age the babies are trying to smile or notice others around them. If you are really concerned about autism I would do some reading on the possible envioronmental things that can possibly worsen the condition. These may be things you would want to avoid (just in case).

Good luck to you!

-Steph

Nio the baby does not try to interact, her hearing was tested and they said it's fine yet she doesnt seem like she can hear either. I dangles objects in front of her face, she doesn't see them. yet the doctor shined a light in her eyes and he said her pupils reacted so she cant be 100% blind.

I don't know what to think, she is very fussy most of the time. you cant put her down or she cries. Only time she is not crying is when she is sleeping or eating.

I just dont think she has a vision problem. At any rate she is going in the morning to see a ped opthomologist.

Maybe you should try to get an appointment with a developmental pediatrician. The appointment waiting lists are usually months long, so if you could get on the list now, it may be a good idea. You can always cancel the appointment later if you are concerned. Good luck to you, and please keep us posted.

-Steph

Good luck to you! I read an excerpt of a book, The Boy Who Loved Windows, about a boy who began treatment for autism when he was an infant. He was helped before he was even old enough to realize anything was different about him. I think it is good to address the sensory issues associated with autism early on.

I don't know for sure if these are traits of someone with autism or if in fact she has visual problems.

Just from the little I have read, I am starting to wonder if she does have autsim but everything I read says kids are not dx until 1-3 years old.

I think you are doing the right thing by voicing your concerns early on! Follow your mother's instincts. Turner was an incredibly fussy baby from the git go. Couldn't put him down at all. He had to sleep on my chest til he was too big to. I made jokes about how much he cried and that he was "broken" and needed fixed. If I only knew then what I knew now. He was having sensory issues even then but couldn't verbalize what was going on. I would definately consult a developmental pediatrician early on. I listened to Turner's Dr. for waaaaay too long and let him make me second guess myself although after every visit I was certain that I was right and he was just not listening, I let his degree get in the way of my assurance as my child's Mother!!!! You know your baby better than anybody else:) Good luck with everything and yes, please do keep us posted. This is a great community!

candle as fa as the fussy business maybe she has food allergies. My son was HIGHLY allergic to dairy the first year and I didn't figure it out until he was 7 months old he was only happy when he was sleeping eating and being held.

Needless to say I was miserable the first 7 mnths.
Make the appointments to be sure.

my best advice is to keep a watchful eye but not to costantly be looking for things to be wrong. babies are still learning to focus well at nine weeks and it might just be that her eye sight is off. you are probably going to be hard pressed to get a doctor to believe you with a child so young but it doesnt hurt to try. get a hold of a book or list of developmental milestones your child should be making and keep track... not sure if i will get in trouble for giving book titles so i wont:) but i am sure that while you were pregnant you received a book on what to expect and there are books by the same people for infants and toddlers. these books list month by month what your child should be doing so if you dont get anywhere with the doc. make sure you track all of this yourself until you can that way you are prepared with a list of things that need to be looked at so they dont think you are an over reactive mom. looking professional even as a parent will always get you further. be organized, be conscise, and have the data all ready so that they know you are serious about your concerns and that you have been monitoring any issues. if you go with all your ducks in a row along with your gut feelings then you will definately turn more heads and get the ball rolling if that is what needs to happen.

i have a 5 year old who is severely autistic and a now 6 month old... you better believe that i have been watching every little thing with the new baby:) he is having problems grasping for objects so we do our own home version of physical therapy were i prompt him to reach for a toy he really likes and then move it to a spot where he wouldnt typically reach. until i get back in with the doctor later this month i will continue to work on it. work on eye contact with you child too. our autistic son had to be trained to look at people. make lots of eye contact and be silly and praise her for looking at you. she wont understand you but if her eye sight is good then she will enjoy you making a fool of yourself for her doing things you would like her to do. its never too early to work on positive reinforcement.:)

G-Luck, keep in contact with the doc, and keep an eye out for those milestones because that is what will be one of the BIG factors in an early diagnosis.

Well she went and saw the opthomologist.. her vision is fine as far as he could tell. So we are back to square 1.

I am told she will most likely just start paying attention tio things one day. I think I am being told that so I dont panic, but it's too late.