Transient, idiopathic nystagmus in infants

The aim of this study was to characterize children with transient nystagmus. Eleven children (six males, five females) developed nystagmus in infancy and then experienced regression of the problem, usually within a few months. Mean age at onset was 2.7 months, and mean age at regression was 8.5 months. No etiology could be ascertained in any of the patients, although four children had other eye or vision abnormalities (regressed retinopathy of prematurity, n=1; asymmetric fundus colobomata, n=1; delayed visual maturation, n=2). Results of this study suggest that mechanisms which allow ocular motor stability undergo a period of postnatal maturation, during which nystagmus can occur, but also during which nystagmus may disappear. Not every case of transient nystagmus should be categorized as spasmus nutans. There is a subset of infants and young children who develop transient nystagmus with no other findings and in whom the nystagmus disappears.