Congenital nystagmus occurs at birth or in the first few months of life.
It is usually associated with an underlying visual disorder, such as albinism in which there is poor pigmentation of the eyes, skin and hair. Congenital nystagmus may occur, however, in association with a wide range of infantile visual disorders. Accurate diagnosis for nystagmus is necessary to ensure the child has adequate help to deal with the disorder. Occasionally no visual disorder can be detected and the nystagmus is called congenital idiopathic nystagmus or congenital motor nystagmus . Recent research shows that nystagmus occurs in approximately 1 in 1,000 new births.