A man carrying a toddler and another thief barged their way inside a 90-year-old woman's house before stealing her purse.
The men, believed to be aged about 40, targeted the woman, who is partially sighted, in Loynells Road, Rubery, on Tuesday.
Police said they suspected the child, thought to be a girl, was being used as a potential distraction technique.
The purse contained just a £5 note and loose change.
Initially the woman thought the men were family members, but she began screaming on realising the intruders were rummaging through her lounge.
She was not hurt but was "very badly shaken up," West Midlands Police said.
Both men are said to be white, about 5ft 9ins tall and of slim build. The child was thought to be aged about 18 months.
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