Posted by NHS Choices on January 17, 2018 · Leave a Comment
John Sloper, a paediatric consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital explains the causes of squints, a misalignment of the eye. He describes how to identify the symptoms and the treatment options..
Editor’s Note: Video Highlights
What Is Childhood Squint:
- Occurs when the two eyes point in different directions and as a result see different things and the brain can’t combine the images – vision in one eye deteriorates (amblyopia)
- Amblyopia is very common and affects one child in 20
- Squints can occur in children at any age although it commonly occur in babies between 4-6 months old or children ages 2-3 and it’s important up to about age 7 because that’s the age at which it can affect the development of vision
Symptoms
- Parents will notice the two eyes are not pointing in the same direction
- Lazy eye is more difficult to diagnose because it can also occur because the focus in the two eyes is different
Treatment
- First question is whether vision is affected in both eyes
- Glasses are first line of treatment
- Patching good eye to develop vision in poor eye
- Improvements typically seen in 80% of children
- Goal of treatment
- Good vision in both eyes
- Get the eyes to work together (achieved with a minority of children)
- Make the eyes look straight (helps the children socially)
- Surgery is an uncomfortable 2nd option, but children bounce back quickly
Good vision results are usually permanent- If eyes work together results are usually long lasting
- If not, the affected eye may drift over 20-30 years and can be corrected with further surgery as an adult
- Surgical complications are extremely rare
- Squint surgery is typically a single day procedure with no overnight hospital stay required
- Results
- Squints are common and a lot can be done to improve them, however it is important to treat children with squints early – as the earlier they’re seen, typically the better the outcome of the treatment.
From www.nhs.uk
