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Children’s strabismus
What is children’s strabismus?
Strabismus is an eye disease characterised by the loss of parallelism of the eyes, causing one or both of them to deviate from their normal position. This deviation can occur in any direction: inward (esotropia), outward (exotropia), upward (hypertropia), or downward (hypotropia). It can also be intermittent or constant.
It is one of the typical childhood eye diseases, affecting about 4-5% of children. It can appear from the first months of life (congenital strabismus) or years later and even in adulthood (link to adult strabismus).
Diagnosing and treating it early is key to prevent the child from developing visual problems as a result of this eye misalignment. The most important of them is amblyopia or “lazy eye” (link), derived from the compensation the brain carries out for not seeing double, thus suppressing the vision of one of the eyes. Another consequence of childhood strabismus is the lack of development of binocular vision and stereopsis, which allows them to see in relief, perceive depth and calculate distances. Last but not least, the aesthetic and psychological effect that having a deviated eye can have on the child.
Symptoms
Causes and risk factors
Treatment
The main manifestation of childhood strabismus is the eye deviation itself. However, this is not always visible to the naked eye, especially when it is intermittent and only becomes evident in certain circumstances, particularly in a state of fatigue or weakness (a feverish process, sleepiness, at the end of the day, etc.). Seeing an ophthalmologist regularly for a comprehensive eye check-up can help prevent these cases from going unnoticed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned and may turn inwards, outwards or vertically. It can be constant or intermittent, so in some cases it may go unnoticed.
During the first few months there may be some temporary misalignment of the eyes. However, if the turn persists, occurs frequently or is seen at a later age, it should be assessed by a pediatric ophthalmologist.
Yes. Treatment depends on the type of strabismus and its cause and may include glasses, treatment of amblyopia and, when the turn persists, surgery. Early assessment makes it possible to determine the most appropriate treatment for each child.
Surgery may be indicated when the eye turn persists despite correcting refractive errors and, when amblyopia is present, after it has been treated. The decision depends on the type and degree of strabismus and the visual characteristics of each child.
In certain types of strabismus associated with a refractive error, optical correction can reduce or even correct the eye turn. If the strabismus persists despite glasses, other treatments may be needed.
In babies, small misalignments of the eyes can occur during the first few months. If the turn is constant, persists beyond the first few months or is very noticeable, it is advisable to have an assessment by a pediatric ophthalmologist or strabismus specialist.
Some turns may be temporary during the first months of life, but persistent strabismus should be assessed. It is not advisable to wait for it to go away on its own, as certain forms can affect visual development.
Yes. When the eyes are not properly aligned during visual development, the brain may stop properly using the image from one of them. This can lead to amblyopia or lazy eye.
Strabismus can be treated from childhood and also in adulthood. The age at which treatment starts depends on the type of turn, its cause, the visual status of each eye and the presence of amblyopia or other problems.