Children’s strabismus
Children’s Strabismus
- Around 4% of children suffer from strabismus.
- 3 types of treatment exist: patches, glasses, and surgery.
What is Children’s Strabismus?
Strabismus is a visual defect where the eyes are not properly aligned, meaning that each eye looks in a different direction. This misalignment can cause one eye to dominate while the other deviates, or, in some cases, both eyes can wander alternately.
Strabismus can appear at different ages:
- Congenital strabismus may appear before the age of six months.
- It may also develop later in life, even into adulthood.
There are several types of strabismus, each with unique clinical characteristics, onset age, and treatment options.
What Causes Strabismus?
Strabismus can be caused by:
- Refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness).
- Disorders of the central nervous system: Conditions like severe fever, illness, stress (e.g., changes in school or parental separation) can affect eye alignment.
How Can Strabismus Be Prevented?
Strabismus cannot be prevented, but early detection is critical. Parents are often the first to notice the condition, as the eyes may deviate intermittently, especially when the child is tired or unwell (e.g., with a fever).
Detecting strabismus before the age of seven is crucial. While it can be treated after this age, the affected eye’s vision may not fully recover if left untreated.
Symptoms
The most serious consequences of strabismus include:
- Amblyopia (Lazy Eye): The brain suppresses the vision in one eye to avoid double vision, causing the unused eye to become "lazy."
- Loss of Binocular Vision: This affects the ability to perceive depth, calculate distances, and see in 3D.
Strabismus can also impact a child’s self-image and self-esteem, particularly as they become more aware of their eye alignment issues.
Associated Treatments
To treat strabismus, the following steps are taken:
- Comprehensive Eye Examination: The doctor assesses the degree of deviation, eye motility, refraction, and the health of the eye's fundus (retina).
- Refractive Error Correction: If a refractive error (e.g., myopia) is found, it is corrected with glasses or contact lenses, often eliminating strabismus.
- Treating Amblyopia: If amblyopia develops, the healthy eye is patched to force the lazy eye to work, improving vision.
- Surgery: Eye surgery is performed only if the eye deviation persists after optical correction and amblyopia treatment.
Strabismus Surgery in Children
In some cases, surgery may be required to realign the eyes if non-surgical treatments do not fully correct the condition.