It is normal to hike or cross occasionally in the first few months of life for a newborn's eyes. But by the time a baby is 4 to 6 months old, straighten the eyes usually. If one or both eyes migrate further in, out, up or down - even intermittently, it is probably due to a condition called strabismus.
If detected early, strabismus can be cured by a variety of safe and effective treatment options. But it is important for children to be treated early - wait too long, or completely out of view of the treatment to permanent vision loss.
About Strabismus
Strabismus is the misalignment or wandering from one or both eyes either inward (called esotropia), outward (exotropia), up (hypertropia) or down (hypotropia). The condition can be constant or parents may only notice it occasionally, for example, if your child tired or looking at something very close.
Strabismus may be present at birth or develop during childhood. In most cases the cause is unknown, although children with a family history of strabismus at an increased risk for them.
Most children are diagnosed 1-4 years. Rare, perhaps to develop for the first time after 6 years of a child squinting. When this happens, it is important to contact your doctor immediately, who then refer your child to a pediatric ophthalmologist and possibly a neurologist to rule out conditions that cause of the problem.
How vision is affected
If the eyes are aligned with the dominant eye is right or straight. The vision strength (sharpness) of the straight eye remains normal because the eye and its connection to the brain functioning as they should. The misaligned or weaker eye does not focus properly and its connection to the brain is not properly trained.
If strabismus is left untreated, the brain will eventually suppress or ignore the image of the weaker eye, leading to amblyopia (or "lazy eye", when one eye does not focus on details) or permanent loss of vision. Long-standing strabismus also hinder the development of depth perception (stereopsis), or the ability to see in 3D.
Signs and symptoms
Not complain Most children with strabismus from eye problems. Usually it is a family member or a teacher who noticed a misalignment of the eyes.
Some children may complain of double vision (two objects to see if it's just a prospect) or have difficulty seeing things in general. Younger children who can not verbalize in a position to their vision problems often squint and turn and tilt their heads in an attempt to see more clearly.
If your child is one of the following signs or symptoms, tell your doctor. If necessary, he or she may refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist for proper evaluation and treatment.
Treatment
The treatment of strabismus depends on the underlying cause and severity of the eye misaligned. The condition is usually corrected with either glasses or eye muscle surgery. In some cases, the use of eye patch, or eye drops may also be helpful.
Farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia) and astigmatism (a form of visual impairment) can sometimes cause strabismus in very young children. These children may benefit from wearing glasses.
A child who has amblyopia and strabismus may have prescribed eye flaps on the right eye or can not be worn. This block all light and force the misaligned or weaker eye that can "see" work to do. Over time, may adopt patching strengthen the vision in the weaker eye. Sometimes it may help the muscles of the weaker eye and restore proper alignment strengthen.
In general, children need to patch 2 to 3 hours per day during waking wear for several months or years, depending on the severity of the disease. In extreme cases, patches up to 6 hours or more to be worn every day.
For parents of babies and young children with strabismus, the enforcement of the use of an eye patch may seem challenging. But after the initial adjustment period, most children well and fit the patch only to a part of their daily routine, like brushing your teeth.
Sometimes, when despite a parent's best efforts, a child will refuse to wear an eye patch. In these cases, atropine droplets are used instead. Just as an eye-patch blocks the vision in the eye or not straight, the atropine drops will temporarily blur vision in the right eye, forcing the misaligned eye to work harder.
If glasses and / or patching or atropine drops do not reach the correct orientation, eye muscle surgery may be recommended. Surgery involves loosening or tightening of the muscles that cause the eye to wander. Although it is an invasive procedure, is a surgical procedure are as safe and effective and usually does not require an overnight hospital stay.
Outlook
How well children fare with correction of strabismus depends not only on the severity of their disease, but also how quickly was recognized and treated.
Children reach their full visual maturation at about 8 years old. It is in these early years of development that important connections between the eyes and the brain are formed. Thus, early intervention is critical. The earlier strabismus is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of a child with straight eyes and the development of good vision and proper depth perception. However, studies show that older children and adolescents, and many adults with strabismus may still benefit from treatment.
The social aspect of strabismus should also not be overlooked. Properly aligned eyes are important for a healthy self-image and good interpersonal relationships in children and adults.
Luckily, if strabismus is detected and treated effectively, it can be cured and prevented permanent loss of vision.