Sunday 31st January - Child Squint
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My child’s eyes are turning inwards. How quickly should I seek medical advice and what treatment might my child require?
Carol, Tranent |
Dr Alan Mulvihill is a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Spire Murrayfield Hospital.
Eye turns, or squints, are the commonest reason for children to see an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon). Many children have eye turns in the first few months of life as their vision is blurred, but these should disappear by four months of age.
If a child has a squint, they need a complete eye examination including measurement of vision and dilating drops to examine the back of the eyes and to do a refraction test (glasses measurement). Most children with in-turning eyes are quite far-sighted and are first given their full glasses prescription. They may also require patching of one eye for several hours per day if the turning eye has reduced vision.
Finally, if the eyes are not straightened by glasses and patching, then squint surgery is sometimes required. This involves operating on some of the eye movement muscles. The operation requires a general anaesthetic but can be done as a day case operation.