Most babies are not born with their eyes wide open, but a fair number briefly open them right after birth. In one classic study of 104 newborns, 30 opened their eyes at birth, and nearly all the rest did so within 20 minutes.

What that means

  • Many newborns keep their eyes closed most of the time in the first hours or days.
  • Some open them right away, especially during quiet alert moments.
  • A baby born earlier than term may be less likely to open their eyes immediately, since eyelid opening happens earlier in pregnancy and can vary with gestational age.

Practical takeaway

If a newborn’s eyes stay closed for a while after delivery, that can still be normal. What matters more is whether the baby is otherwise doing well, feeding, and showing normal newborn behavior.

Tiny example

A baby might come out with eyes closed, then briefly open them during skin-to- skin contact or while being examined, and then close them again after a few seconds.

TL;DR: Babies being born with eyes open is possible, but not the usual full-time state; brief eye opening at or soon after birth is common.