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How Is Strabismus Diagnosed?
It's normal for a newborn's eyes to wander or cross occasionally during the first few months of life. But by the time a baby is 4 to 6 months old, the eyes usually straighten out. If one or both eyes continue to wander in, out, up, or down — even once in a while — it's probably due to strabismus.
How Is Strabismus Treated?
The earlier strabismus is treated, the better. This is because key connections between a child's eyes and brain form by about 8 years old.
Treatment for strabismus may include:
eyeglasses
eye patching
eye drops
eye muscle surgery
Sometimes, wearing eyeglasses is enough to straighten out the eyes. If not, a child might be given an eye patch to wear over the straight eye for a few hours a day. This patch makes the weaker eye do the "seeing" work. Over time, the muscles and vision in the weaker eye become stronger.
Getting a baby or toddler to accept wearing an eye patch can be a challenge. But most kids get used to the patch. Wearing it becomes part of their daily routine, like getting dressed in the morning.
Sometimes, though, kids refuse to wear an eye patch. Then, eye drops (called atropine drops) might be used instead. Just as eye patching blocks the vision in the straight eye, the atropine drops temporarily blur out vision in that eye. This makes the weaker eye work harder so that eye muscles and vision get stronger.
If eyeglasses, eye patching, and/or atropine drops can't fix a child's strabismus, eye muscle surgery might be needed. Surgery involves loosening or tightening the muscles that cause the eye to wander. Most kids can go home the same day of surgery.
Looking Ahead
Regular eye exams are the best way to detect strabismus. Early diagnosis and treatment better a child's chances of having straight eyes and developing good vision and depth perception. But older kids and teens (and even many adults with strabismus) can still benefit from treatment.
Also keep in mind the social aspect to strabismus. Aligned eyes are important for a healthy self-image in adults and kids.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/strabismus.html#:~:text=It's%20normal%20for%20a%20newborn's,it's%20probably%20due%20to%20strabismus.
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