A mother of a 4-week-old infant is concerned about her infant's occasionally crossed eyes. What should the nurse practitioner recommend?

The recommendation that this finding is normal in infants up to 2 months of age is based on typical developmental milestones in newborns. It is common for infants at this age to exhibit intermittent strabismus or crossed eyes as their visual system is not yet fully developed. Most infants gain the ability to coordinate their eye movements and focus properly by around 3 to 4 months of age. Therefore, parental reassurance is appropriate, emphasizing that this condition is often a temporary and benign phase as the infant's visual tracking and coordination improve.

Educating the mother on normal infant development can alleviate concerns and reduce anxiety, allowing her to understand the expected changes in her child’s vision. This reassurance also helps to guide her on when it may become appropriate to seek further evaluation, such as if the crossed eyes persist beyond the age when coordination typically develops.