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Strabismus
Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes are
misaligned, meaning one eye may be straight while the other is
turned inward, outward, upward, or downward. A visual defect commonly
accompanies strabismus. Strabismus affects about 4% of children
and can continue through life, or in some instances, can begin
in adulthood.
Good alignment of both eyes during childhood allows
normal vision to develop. The first nine years of life are particularly
important, since this is the Period when the brain is developing
visually. In strabismus, the abnormal alignment may cause reduced
vision, which is referred to as amblyopia. In addition, the brain
will often use the image of the accurate eye while ignoring the
image of the deviating eye, which can cause a loss of one component
of depth perception known as binocular vision with stereopsis. Early
diagnosis and treatment of strabismus is important and can directly
affect outcome with respect to visual acuity and binocular vision.
Children's eyes should be examined as part of regular
check-ups by a pediatrician or family doctor from infancy through
the school years . Infant's eyes are often slightly misaligned during
the first month of life. However, large degrees of misalignment
or misalignment persisting beyond about one month of age should
be investigated. It is often difficult for parents to determine
whether their babies' eyes are misaligned. The pediatrician and
the ophthamologist can help determine whether an infant has strabismus.
Strabismus may be treated in a variety of ways,
depending on its cause. Treatment options include glasses, eye exercises,
and occasionally, eye drops. In some instances, surgery to reposition
the eye muscles may be necessary. In general, if any form of treatment
is required, the earlier in life it is initiated, the better the
child's chance of developing normal vision.
Additional sites pertaining to Pediatric Eye Disorders:
Pediatric
Ophthalmology Features
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