When the eye is lower than the other, it is a hypotropia.
Signs and Symptoms of Strabismus
When the eyes are misaligned and looking in different directions, double vision can result. Infants and children with strabismus can ignore (“suppress”) the double image because the brain is able to adapt to the misalignment. However, these children will not develop normal “binocular” or “3-D” vision, as their brain did not learn to use both eyes together. Gross and fine motor development can be reduced. Children with strabismus can start to favour one eye over the other (amblyopia), which needs to be monitored and treated.
Myth & Facts about Strabismus (squint)
Myth 1: Squint in small children can go away on its own
Fact 1: A newborn and young infant until six months of age can have an intermittent squint. After this age, it is uncommon for a squint to disappear on its own. This is a popular belief harboured by many parents and re-enforced by some doctors too. In older children, a delay in diagnosis and treatment could potentially lead to reduced vision in the child. Any constant strabismus should be evaluated by a paediatric ophthalmologist.
Myth 2: Squint is just a cosmetic problem
Fact 2: In addition to strabismus being a cosmetic problem, it is often also a significant functional problem. This is because a squint can lead to reduced vision (amblyopia) and reduced field of vision. Early treatment of squint may be recommended to prevent deterioration of vision and binocularity – not only to straighten the eyes for reconstructive reasons.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Strabismus
An assessment and diagnosis of strabismus is important to guide management decision making and can be performed in specialised ophthalmology strabismus clinics where Dr Parth Shah works. This includes assessment of vision, checking for refractive error (glasses) and examining for cataract and retinal pathology. The type and size of the strabismus is measured accurately using prisms and instruments for checking binocular (“3-D”) vision.
