Eyes are probably the most sensitive organ of our body. They are our windows to the world. When we talk about children, parents need to be extra cautious. The reason is kids would not know of their problem on their own. Hence, no problem in kids’ eyes should be brushed aside as trivial.
Squint is an eye disorder that needs immediate attention. While many parents are very particular about their kids’ general and eye health, and get regular eye checkups of their ward(s), others visit a healthcare provider when they notice some abnormality, which is why it is paramount for parents to have knowledge about eye disorders in children and paediatric eye treatment.
Squint : What It Is
For clear vision, both our eyes should focus on an object together. Squint or strabismus is an eye condition in which eyes lack alignment, and cannot look in the same direction at the same object together. While one eye focuses on the target object, the other may turn outward, inward, downward, or possibly upward.
When a child has this problem, it is referred to as paediatric squint eye. Slight or occasional squint may even go unnoticed. 1 out of every 20 children is reported to have an eye squint. Most kids develop the issue before they turn 3, but some may have it at birth or develop it after the age of 3.
Because of the squint, the eyes look in different directions. When this happens, the brain is not able to process two different images. It fails to produce a clear image. The result is poor vision, and the child cannot make out how far the object is.
Intermittent squint can often be seen in newborn babies, but it goes away on its own as the baby develops proper vision between two to four months of age.
Causes of Squint in Children
Here are the most common causes of paediatric squint :
- High Refractive Error: A child with very weak eyesight and high specs power, may develop squint.
- Malfunctioning Extraocular Muscles: 6 muscles are responsible for eye movement coordination. Eyes function properly when all of them work together. Malfunctioning of even one of them does not allow the eye to work well, resulting in squint.
- Eye Ailments: Retinopathy of prematurity, cataract, abnormal blood vessels, and tumour cause poor vision, which may further result in squint.
- Brain Issues: Some brain disorders, such as brain tumours, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fluid accumulation in the brain, may also lead to strabismus in children.
Symptoms of Squint in Children
Parents should stay alert and keep a watch on their child’s eyes to catch squint early.
Here are the common signs:
- Eyes lacking alignment and looking in different directions
- Child getting too close to things to see or read
- Child lacking depth perception (how far an object is)
- Squinting or closing one eye in bright light
- Vision problem in one or both eyes
- Double vision and confusion in visualisation
- Child turning or tilting their head too much to be able to see
- Eyestrain and headaches, inability to read comfortably or a feeling of tiredness while reading
Consequences of Squint
It is utmost important for parents to be aware of the fact that common eye problems today may pose a serious challenge for the child later in life. They must realise that a squint may be easy to diagnose but not easy to treat – because it is not self-curable. If the child does not get timely squint treatment, they may even end up losing vision. Here are the common problems a child with a squint may have to deal with –
- Lazy Eye: The child may suffer from poor vision in the squinted eye – because the brain does not use the image from this eye.
- No Stereopsis: The child is unable to perceive depth and lacks 3-D vision, again because of the brain’s inability to form a proper three dimensional image.
- Discomfort: It could be a significant hindrance causing major discomfort as the child is not able to perform routine tasks, particularly reading and focusing on the board at school, and even playing.
- Poor self-confidence: The child may suffer from an inferiority complex and poor self-image as they realise that despite best efforts, they cannot do what others can do very easily.
Diagnosing Squint
Firstly, the eye specialist checks whether the squint is primary or secondary. Squint present at birth or that which develops during early childhood is referred to as primary strabismus. It is the more common type. Secondary strabismus is the squint that develops later because of vision or neurological problems. Following this analysis, the doctor decides the treatment.
Strabismus screening includes –
- Comprehensive eye examination – Complete eye check up to rule out refractive error or any eye disease
- Orthoptic evaluation – It involves a number of tests to measure stereopsis, check extraocular muscles, and magnitude of squint
Treating Paediatric Squint
We advise parents to get regular eye check-ups of their children. It would help in early diagnosis of strabismus, which raises the prospects of ensuring that the child does not suffer vision loss.
Treatment for squint depends on its causes and signs. A good ophthalmologist will recommend the best solution keeping in mind the child’s age and convenience.
- Spectacles: If a child with hyperopia (farsightedness) also develops the issue of squint, eye glasses are used for treatment.
- Eye Patches: If a child has the lazy eye issue (when one eye has poorly functioning muscles, and is unable to coordinate with the healthy eye), the healthy eye is covered with an eye patch to force the lazy eye to start working.
- Eye Exercises: Specific eye exercises help strengthen the muscles that control the eye movement to help both eyes work better together.
- Eye Surgery: Surgery is used to rectify the muscles that control movement of the eye to align the eyes correctly.
It is vital for parents to keep a close watch on the eyes of their children to spot a squint early. At the same time, it is advisable to get regular eye examinations of children at a reputed eye care hospital to ensure they have healthy eyes and clear vision.
Timely intervention can help save your child’s sight!
