A newborn baby sometimes squints his eyes. When should strabismus go away in a newborn baby?

A newborn's eyes may squint slightly because the muscles are not yet fully functional. The baby does not yet know how to control all movements. His eyes dart around every now and then, his pupils move apart different sides. This phenomenon is considered normal and should go away by six months. The baby learns to control movements and also focus his gaze.

Strabismus can be converging, when the baby's eyes are squinted at the bridge of the nose, and less often - divergent, when the pupils are turned in opposite directions. The reasons for this position of the visual organs in infants may be different.

  • In the first period of life, the baby squints due to the structural features of the skull of newborns. In babies, its halves initially meet at an angle, so the eyeballs occupy a slightly unusual position for us and it seems that the baby’s visual organs are squinting. Over time, the bones and cartilage will align and the problem will resolve itself.
  • In most cases, strabismus in infants is functional. The muscles are still too weak, and the child himself squints his eyes, because he does not yet know how to control the movement of his visual organs. You can verify this by observing the baby. He will diligently fix his gaze on you or a bright rattle, and then, due to overexertion, one of his eyes will move to the side. When the baby is relaxed and does not try to focus on any object, his visual organs may be directed in different directions. Over time, the baby will learn to control himself and his gaze; periods of such relaxed strabismus will last less and less until they disappear by 3-6 months.
  • Immaturity of the parts of the brain responsible for eye movements. Asymmetry in the position of the pupils in this case will be a temporary phenomenon that will soon pass.

While the above newborn problems may subside over time, you still need to be careful. Failure to follow certain rules will lead to the fact that physiological strabismus can develop into pathological.

Babies are born with farsightedness, sometimes up to three diopters. It occurs due to the fact that in infants the eyeball is not round, but slightly flattened.

Over time, it straightens out, and the child’s vision is leveled to normal. But while the baby is farsighted, you should protect his eyes and not bring toys close to them. Trying to focus on small or close details, the baby will not only perpetuate strabismus, but also spoil his vision.

Who is at risk?

Above we examined cases of physiological strabismus that do not require correction. They disappear on their own without special treatment. But there are times when parents need to be more attentive to their child’s eyes and, if pathology is suspected, immediately contact a pediatric ophthalmologist.

  • Some relatives have eye diseases. Doctors note that the tendency to myopia is inherited. Even if one of the parents or close relatives has vision problems, this will definitely be passed on to the child. Genetically determined weakness eye muscles not only changes the quality of vision, it can cause pathological strabismus.
  • In the early stages of gestation, when the tissues responsible for vision were formed and developed in the embryo, the mother suffered from certain diseases. It could be cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis or herpes. These viral illnesses can negatively affect the development of a child's visual organs.
  • Complex or early birth can also give impetus to malfunction systems of the newborn and lead to pathological asymmetry.
  • Viral, infectious and inflammatory diseases on initial stage life of a baby can lead to strabismus.

All problems can be corrected with the help of specialists, and the sooner you contact them, the more effective the treatment will be.

When to treat

If strabismus in a newborn does not go away after six months, you should worry and contact a pediatric ophthalmologist for advice. There is no need to delay treatment because this pathology will lead to decreased vision in the baby. At this age, the eye muscles in children are not yet strong, and therefore myopia will progress greatly.

Also, the reason that the baby squints may be hemorrhages in the nerve centers of the brain that occur as a result of pathologies intrauterine development or difficult childbirth. In this case, the asymmetry is constantly observed and the eye does not change its position. This pathology is corrected with medications that will be prescribed to you by a pediatric neurologist.

To prevent eye problems from developing into something serious, doctors may recommend that you special treatment, combining medications and physical therapy. Many ophthalmology offices are now equipped modern technology, providing sessions of color therapy, vacuum, magnetic, laser and electrical stimulation.

How to get rid of stretch marks after childbirth?

Strabismus is a complex vision defect in children, in which both eyes are unable to look at the same point at the same time. If a child begins to squint his eye, then we can talk about a pathology such as strabismus.

  • A child has one eye squinting – the reason for this phenomenon and how to correct the defect?
  • Types of strabismus in children
  • Why does a child cross his eyes?
  • The child began to squint his eye - ways to treat the disease
  • The child has one eye squinting
  • The child's eye squints. What to do? Treatment of childhood strabismus
  • What are possible reasons"lazy eye"?
  • Treatment of strabismus in children
  • What to do if your baby's eyes are crossed?
  • What it is?
  • Causes
  • When to sound the alarm?
  • Self-diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Strabismus in children: types, signs, treatment methods
  • Description of the disease
  • Children's strabismus - video
  • Classification of strabismus: divergent, vertical, convergent, paralytic, concomitant, etc.
  • Types of strabismus - gallery
  • Causes of the development of the disease in newborns, infants and older children
  • Symptoms of the disease in children and adolescents
  • Diagnostic methods: how to determine congenital and acquired strabismus
  • Treatment methods in hospital and at home
  • Conservative therapy
  • Occlusion
  • Special glasses
  • Medications
  • Hardware treatment
  • Eye exercises
  • Eye gymnastics - video
  • Surgical treatment: features, indications for surgery, rehabilitation after surgery
  • Treatment prognosis and possible complications
  • Doctor Komarovsky about strabismus - video
  • Lifestyle during illness
  • Prevention

And most often it manifests itself in early childhood.

If you notice that your child’s eyes have begun to squint, you should not console yourself with the thought that the problem will disappear on its own with age. Without special therapeutic therapy, strabismus (strabismus) can lead to severe consequences with the baby's vision. For example, in cases where one of the squinting eyes is not involved, the child’s visual ability can deteriorate significantly, which will provoke the development of amblyopia (the so-called “lazy eye” syndrome). In addition, the development of strabismus can negatively affect the child’s self-esteem, because it is closely related not only to vision function, but also to appearance baby. When a child has one eye squint, other children may start calling him names and teasing him. In such situations, in addition to the crumbs timely treatment You will also need psychological support from your parents.

Types of strabismus in children

According to the time of onset of the disease, acquired and congenital strabismus are distinguished. Based on the stability of the pathology, periodic and permanent strabismus are distinguished. Strabismus is also classified according to the type of deviation:

  • Isotropy. The most common form of strabismus in a child, in which both or one eye squints inward, towards the nose. Often observed before the age of one year. A child with isotropy has a tendency to develop farsightedness.
  • Hypotropia and hypertropia. This is a form of strabismus in which there is vertical deflection eyes downwards, towards the eyebrows, and upwards (respectively). This is a fairly rare type of strabismus that occurs due to problems with the eye muscles.
  • Exotropia is a form of strabismus in which one eye of a child squints outward, towards the temple. Most often it appears between 1 and 6 years of age and is associated with the development of myopia in a child several years later.

Doctors also distinguish the so-called paralytic strabismus. It is the result of damage to the corresponding muscle or nerve, as a result of which the movement of the eyeball in the direction of the affected muscle is limited or completely absent.

Why does a child cross his eyes?

There can be many reasons for the appearance of strabismus in children. Even a qualified doctor cannot always determine exactly why a child squints his eyes. Sometimes the disease is a consequence of various visual problems, such as cataracts, severe farsightedness or glaucoma. Children with farsightedness may deliberately squint their eyes in order to see more clearly.

Other factors that increase the risk of strabismus include:

  • Heredity (perhaps one of the relatives had strabismus).
  • Intrauterine intoxication of a child.
  • Neurological diseases can also cause a child to have one eye squint.
  • Optical defect of the eyes, such as farsightedness or nearsightedness.
  • Severe infections in children (diphtheria, scarlet fever, etc.).

If there are prerequisites, then this pathology in a baby may appear at a temperature above 38 ° C, as well as mental or physical trauma.

The child began to squint his eye - ways to treat the disease

What parents should do when their child has one eye squint can best be advised by the attending pediatrician. In any case, therapy should be complex nature and be carried out as early as possible. How younger age your baby, the more likely he is to cure the disease.

Most often, the following methods are used for treatment:

  • Sealing a healthy eye (for a certain time). This method helps to straighten the sore eye and strengthen it. The pediatrician may prescribe the child to wear a bandage temporarily or at intervals of several weeks/months.
  • Glasses. Wearing contact lenses or glasses in many cases corrects moderate strabismus.
  • Surgery. If a child’s eyes begin to squint, sometimes this is the only expedient method to improve vision and straighten the eye muscles. In most cases, just one operation is enough, but if there is an urgent need, it is repeated several years later. After surgery, the child may need to wear additional glasses for some time.

In addition to the above methods, there are various exercises for the eyes, as well as drug treatment. Ophthalmological centers have special medical rooms in which your baby can perform a number of therapeutic activities on specific eye devices and simulators. By attending such classes, children increase their chances of getting rid of strabismus several times, especially if they perform the exercises under the supervision of a competent specialist.

It is important for parents to remember that if a child has a squint in one eye, they will need a high-quality curative therapy, which can last for many months, which means a lot of patience will be required on their part. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that with this pathology there are no identical cases. Accordingly, in the treatment of strabismus, a particularly significant role is played by individual approach specialists in developing treatment methods for each patient. Let us also recall that surgical operations are carried out only after they have been undertaken conventional methods treatment and only at the age of four years.

Since surgery is last resort, visual acuity can be improved without resorting directly to such intervention. Research has found that orthoptic exercises and activities improve the brain's ability to regulate a child's eye movements. Also, to eliminate strabismus in children, methods using modern technology have recently been often used. computer equipment. The essence of such procedures is that the baby is offered a colorful and interesting computer game, with the help of which vision functions can be corrected.

In any case, if a child’s eyes begin to squint, parents have the right to independently choose any of the methods described in this article to solve the problem. However, it should be remembered that the forecast further development pathology depends on the factors of the onset of the disease, on compliance with all recommendations of the attending physician, as well as on the timely initiation of therapy.

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The child has one eye squinting

Nothing is visible, before five years all your suspicions will definitely pass. My little one has the same problem, but as for me, it’s even worse than yours, but when we went to the doctor, he said everything was fine. Moreover, apart from a sticker on your eye, they will not do anything for you until you are five years old, even if you have this strabismus. So let's now hope together that everything will be fine with our children.

girls, hello everyone, my son also has a problem in one eye, but it started a week ago, the right eye started to squint, we are 7 months old, this has never happened before, what could it be? I was at the local hospital, but the ophthalmologist and neuropathologist didn’t even bother to look, they sent me to the regional children’s hospital. Has anyone encountered such a case?

My eldest's eye was squinted, then the other. We saw an ophthalmologist a year ago, she saw that the right one was mowing, 5 minutes later we went to the ENT specialist, the left one was already mowing (ENT noted) They still have ligamentous apparatus weak, they say it returns to normal by the age of 2, for us it went away a little later, I didn’t even notice when, don’t worry.

We passed the ophthalmologist in front of the garden. As expected, they said everything was fine! after some time, my daughter’s eye began to periodically move towards her ear; due to constant illnesses in the garden, our appointments at good clinic they broke down, consoling themselves with the fact that their daughter simply has the same peculiarity as her father (who is very rare, but this also happens), especially since they went to the ophthalmologist and everything is fine. We went on vacation, and already on vacation I took her for an examination to a regular ophthalmologist. I have an appointment at a good clinic here, which I was counting on so much, 6 months in advance, and so an ordinary ophthalmologist without equipment determined that we already have low myopia and prescribed glasses of -2. and squint. To say that I was in shock is an understatement. It’s been 2 weeks since I took it and I’m still in shock. after let's go on vacation in our city to the clinic at full inspection, I just hope with trembling that everything won’t turn out so bad, and if it turns out even worse... I’ll definitely go crazy.

Moreover, the prescriptions that we had turned out to be no longer correct and thank God I didn’t glue my eyes, I consulted at the ophthalmology forum.

Katyun, I can imagine your panic... Everything is being treated now. The main thing is not to start... It’s hard to last weeks and with a newborn, but the main thing here is not to waste time... Everything will be corrected.

Will they close their eyes later?

My little mother looked at the plane, apparently it was flying low, and it was rumbling... Like an exhaust... And she went cross... They treated... The slight slant remained, but you have to look closely... It’s not immediately visible.

And I’m farsighted and have been wearing glasses since I was 6 years old. They prescribed them for work... They bought me the most beautiful frames and no one at school even said a bad word to me. At 14 years old I’m healthy))) I took off my glasses... But I can’t see well in the evening... I bought them yourself glasses (one lens, and the other ordinary glass, because one sees perfectly)

But with the tablet I feel my vision is getting worse... I began to limit my son’s viewing.

But farsightedness can be treated. And squint too.

don’t worry so much, you noticed early, my eldest son only started to develop strabismus at the age of 3, everyone was seen by an ophthalmologist, only at the age of 6 did she refer us to the vision care office for full examination, there they discovered that our vision had already deteriorated considerably, we were sent to a regional clinic and in May of this year they had surgery on both eyes, ttt, everything is fine, the eyes are even))) good health to your girl and it’s good for you to bear the baby)))

With convergent strabismus, we were told that the muscles for abducting the eyes still work poorly at this age. Treatment: remove all the toys in the center, hang them on the side of the crib so that the eyes are directed to the sides, I tried. Approach the crib only from the side or front. The same is true when carrying a child in your arms - face him, let him turn his head, look at objects sideways, averting his eyes. Change the load on the muscles working to abduct one eye, then the other. That is, let him turn the head one way, then the other.

Mine has the same thing, I’m already afraid, but in principle I understand that this could be less often, it happened more often, but now it’s very, very rare for a child in infancy the eye muscle is weak, that’s why this happens

Not everyone squints; for many, the pupils are not fixed, but seem to float... but if the neurologist said that they squint, then it is so... the sooner you start correcting this, the more successful the result will be.

Mine sucks her fingers and nothing. I don't believe in this nonsense).

By the way, now it’s over for us! Previously, from 3-4 to the end of the seventh month, my fingers were constantly in my mouth. And now just to put something in your mouth or feel your teeth...

so I don’t believe in all of this. it went just fine)

and she definitely won’t make it as a doctor. A different education is needed for this. only if he graduates from the tower in pediatrics, then it may become.

This is the first time I’ve heard something like that about fingers - it’s like you have to suck to make a thin finger become... Indeed, your nurse is kind of negative. It’s a pity that communicating with her gets you nowhere

I didn’t suck my fingers when I was a child... but in vain... they would have been thin)))))

All children go through such a period and they suck their fingers and fists, then they stop, and this happened to us.

My daughter has +5 and +6. I also took off my glasses, I gradually got used to it, the main thing is not to swear, to explain how it is correct and beautiful to wear glasses. It took us almost a month to get used to wearing it for at least an hour or two without taking it off. By the way, Seilova said that everything can be fixed, the main thing is to contact her in time, but she will wear glasses throughout her childhood. Your vision may not completely improve, but it will definitely get better. I hope so, I look forward to it. I was terribly worried, but now I’ve more or less calmed down. on small children and the wounds heal quickly) I would also go to Rudny, but now it’s very difficult to look at the machines, because will scream and cry

I’ve already commented to one of the girls here that after our ophthalmologist’s diagnosis, we went to Rudny. Here in Kostanay we were given a clear diagnosis and decided to go and have a look to be on the safe side. In Rudny there is a very good and competent specialist, in addition to examining the eyes, she treats the eyes, the office has all the necessary equipment, there are many children. And regarding our diagnosis, she said that what we have now at our age is not critical. In Kostanay we were prescribed glasses, but Novikova said that glasses are definitely not needed, the child keeps his eyes well.

Wow, that's terrible of course.

I also want to take mine to check, but mine doesn’t sit well and is unlikely to work ((

I can't say anything about this.

When I went to the ophthalmologist myself this year, it turned out that I had +2. For some reason, all my life I thought that + only happens to older people.

For me, it’s better to go to another doctor and see what he says, but not to tell him about the diagnoses that you were given before him.

Dina. It's great. Don't stop pecking at the corner. My niece developed this problem when she was 2 years old. They also pecked at the little eye, and positive result came quickly. They quit and after 2 months everything came back again. As the doctors explained, the muscles had just begun to adjust to correct work and then they were allowed to relax again. In a word, don't quit. I'm very happy for you. Your son is handsome. Oh poor girls))

Well, you see, and you were panicking, which means your squint had just begun and had not yet fully developed. continue the exercises and no surgery will be needed. But I don’t know how long you can wear the patch - do you have any irritation from it? mine loves to put a band-aid on itself, but after half an hour it rips it off because it probably itches underneath it

Great news! Very happy about you! This is exactly how it is treated, by alternating sealing; I know children who were completely cured in 1-2 years. So I didn’t have to go anywhere, here too good doctors you just need to look for them like everywhere else in general)) Does your insurance pay for your treatment?

We tried to go to kindergarten now, we went for 3 days, we were sick for 2 weeks, then we went for 1.5 weeks for 1.5 months, we got sick, I won’t go there anymore, we’ll also go to developmental classes, and no one canceled classes at home, it depends on the child if the character is weak downtrodden here, go to kindergarten or don’t go to school, it will be difficult and without any sores, and if he has a fighting character even with glasses, he fights back, I think everything will work out for you, but you definitely need developmental activities and a walk with friends, so that he still gets used to what he has it's not much different, but the doctor will help fix everything

I’m not entirely on topic... you wouldn’t have focused your attention on this! At 2.8, the child himself cannot know that there is something wrong with his eyes. A friend’s daughter with very strong strabismus attended a regular kindergarten, now she goes to a regular school, she’s almost 14 years old, the strabismus is now very slightly noticeable but it was very strong and they never experienced problems, because they didn’t think that there was anything wrong with the child. Of course parallel to the ordinary garden, they did everything possible

It seems to me that Vanya shouldn’t focus on his little eye. This way you will only develop complexes in your child! Moreover, there are many children with such problems and they all attend regular kindergartens and schools. And according to your posts, Vanya is a very smart and quick-witted kid! As for the kindergarten, it’s your business whether to drive or not... We don’t live under Soviet rule, where my mother was obliged to work! Do what makes your family comfortable!

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The child's eye squints. What to do? Treatment of childhood strabismus

You have a baby - healthy and beautiful. Are you happy! But then weeks pass, and you begin to notice that the child’s eyes are a little squinted, or wander. Sometimes one eye squints, sometimes both. This phenomenon is also called “lazy eye”. What is the reason for this and what to do?

We can immediately say that childhood strabismus is infancy- this is not a diagnosis and does not at all mean that your child has vision problems. Strabismus in newborns is common. The fact is that immediately after birth a little person’s muscles, including the eye ones, are still weak, the baby does not yet know how to control them, so the eyes “wander” - first one, then the other, then both at once. This phenomenon can last up to six months - as you grow older, the muscles become stronger, the eyes begin to focus together, and the squint goes away on its own.

But if the eyes continue to squint even at an older age, then the consultation and help of an ophthalmologist is already needed.

What are the possible causes of lazy eye?

Statistics tell us that three out of a hundred people have a lazy eye problem. And, of course, the sooner the pathology is detected, the more effective and easier it will be to cope with it.

A crossed eye may be associated with a neurological problem. This reason is quite common among the youngest children. With the correct behavior of adults who will try to create a calm, healthy environment at home, this problem will soon go away.

Another reason could be intracranial pressure. This is also not difficult to deal with - any pediatrician will prescribe adequate treatment, causing the eyes to snap into place.

Strabismus can also be inherited. In this case, it is necessary to show the child to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible in order to properly check his vision.

To check if your baby actually has strabismus. The following methods can be applied.

Place the child's head straight and see if the light is reflected symmetrically in his pupils. If it is asymmetrical, there is strabismus. This should be noticeable in photographs as well. If everything is fine in the photo, then your worries are in vain.

Another test method: fix the child's head straight and attract his attention with some toy located to the right or left of his eyes. In this case, the child should move both eyes normally in both directions, and neither eye should squint. Then there is no squint.

Treatment of strabismus in children

If there is a real strabismus, it is not at all cosmetically dangerous: our brain “adds up” the image using information from both eyes at once. but if at the same time one of them moves incorrectly, then it “gets in the way,” so the brain automatically turns it off.

To prevent the development of strabismus, it is recommended to change the position of the baby in the bed - put his head in one direction or the other. In addition, the child should play on the floor so that he can raise his eyes, which will thus train in movement.

To treat strabismus, occlusion is used - a method in which the child is put on a bandage over the healthy eye in order to force the “lazy” eye to work, or is covered with a special Occluder eye patch for children. By wearing a patch or patch on the good eye for a certain amount of time every day, the child learns to rely more on the lazy eye. At the same time, it is very important to monitor the child so that he does not remove the bandage. If he removes the bandage even just a few minutes before the appointed time, make him put it back on. If you did not notice when the child took off the bandage, put it on again and count down the time again. Children wear bandages and plasters with displeasure, so your task is to explain to him and show him clearly why this is necessary. To do this, you can cover the healthy eye with your hand and ask if it sees well, and then explain that wearing a patch will make the unhealthy eye as healthy and seeing as the other. Be careful not to let your child peek.

The sooner you start treatment, the less likely the strabismus will become permanent.

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What to do if your baby's eyes are crossed?

When the baby has just been born, young parents do not always know all the features of the tiny organism. So, having seen their baby’s eyes “running” to the sides, mothers and fathers attribute this phenomenon to visual impairment. Of course, this can terrify even experienced mothers, but is it worth drawing any conclusions if the baby is not yet two months old?

What it is?

This picture describes strabismus in newborns, which occurs quite often immediately after their birth. This manifestation in medicine is called functional strabismus, which should go away before the baby is six months old.

  • strabismus (or strabismus) of a newborn is due to the fact that the muscles of the eyeball are not yet developed, since in the womb there was no need to focus the gaze to distinguish objects. Therefore, in the first weeks and even months of life, uncoordinated movement of the infant’s pupils is often observed;
  • movement eyeballs is controlled by the longitudinal fasciculus cerebral system, which may not be sufficiently developed in an infant. But as the child grows older, he learns to control the direction of his gaze, and the problem of strabismus disappears before the age of six months;
  • Another factor that can affect imaginary strabismus is the special structure of the newborn’s skull. Its two parts - left and right - are located at a slight angle to each other, so up to 6 months, parents may feel that their child’s gaze is directed a little askew.

Often, strabismus in newborns occurs due to indirect factors that affect the development of the baby’s visual organ. This pathology will not go away on its own and therefore requires immediate treatment. Causes of persistent strabismus:

  • complicated pregnancy when fetal hypoxia was observed or poor circulation blood flow In most cases, it leads to pathological development of certain parts of the brain that are responsible for the mobility of the eye muscles;
  • difficult childbirth can provoke micro-effusions in the brain and lead to the same problems as described in the previous paragraph;
  • infectious or acute infections suffered by the infant respiratory diseases can have a diverse impact on the body that has not yet formed, including affecting visual acuity and focusing;
  • if in the first months of pregnancy the mother suffered from an acute respiratory infection or any infection, there is a high risk of developing strabismus;
  • a newborn is born farsighted; this feature arises due to the longitudinal structure of the eyeball (in adults it is round). Therefore, if you show a baby small objects at close range, you can provoke the development of the described problem;
  • strabismus may be concomitant disease in children with congenital brain tumors, cerebral palsy, microcephaly, Down syndrome;
  • sometimes the result of mental or physical trauma;
  • can be inherited.

When to sound the alarm?

If a baby has asynchronous pupil movement until the age of six months, then doctors consider this to be the norm. Up to 4 months of life, the organ of vision can develop at a very slow pace, when the baby will only respond to large figures and light sources. When a three-month-old baby does not fully respond to a bright rattle or his eyes look in different directions, this is not considered a deviation.

But after 6 months, either the problem should go away, or the child should be urgently shown to an ophthalmologist, since in this case we can talk about persistent strabismus. The sooner parents understand that their baby does not have functional strabismus, the greater the chance of fully restoring the function of the eye muscles and not losing visual acuity.

Self-diagnosis

The method for determining strabismus at home is based on the ability of the pupils of the eye to reflect bright light. That's why self-diagnosis Infants can be treated in the following ways:

  1. Shine a not very bright flashlight in the direction of the child’s face (distance cm): if the light is reflected synchronously in the pupils, then everything is in order with the eye muscles. But if the reflection of light is not the same in the two pupils, you need to go with the child to an ophthalmologist.
  2. Take a photo of the baby with a flash while he looks into the lens. The problem can be recognized in the same way as in the first method.

The sooner treatment for true strabismus is started, the less likely the child is to lose visual acuity and remain cross-eyed for life. Therefore, ophthalmologists usually prescribe complex therapy immediately after identifying the problem, and at the age of 2 years, children are already successfully operated on. Treatment of strabismus includes the following techniques:

  • orthopedic therapy helps to correct the brain in maintaining the functioning of the eye muscles. Classes can be conducted either at a computer using special programs or on orthopedic simulators. The only disadvantage of this treatment is that only older children can master it - after 4 years;
  • Reflexology is a technique of acupressure, with which a specialist acts on the nerve centers. They, in turn, regulate the coordination of the muscles of the eyeball. IN complex therapy allows you not only not to lose vision, but in some cases improve it and keep the eye muscles in good shape;
  • the operation is performed after the age of two, truncating the long muscle of the eye, as a result of which the pupils stop scattering due to the previously relaxed state;
  • for children of kindergarten age it is recommended to visit adapted centers child development, where there are special rooms with orthopedic simulators, ophthalmologists who regularly examine children and conduct corrective classes with them;
  • sometimes children are prescribed electrophoresis to relax muscles and improve nerve conduction;
  • Occlusion of a healthy eye helps to activate the work of pathologically developed tissues of the second eye. For this, both ordinary bandages and special children's eye patches are used;
  • may prescribe osteopathic therapy, which is more related to alternative medicine, but gives amazing results. This treatment involves influencing the structures and fluids of the human body using the hands of an osteopath. As a result, the tissues relax, the passage of nerve impulses improves, and the muscles become toned, which is extremely important for strabismus in infants.

If strabismus is not treated, then the children's brain responds to pathological processes in the eye muscles with compensatory mechanisms in the brain, which over time leads to serious problems with vision, up to its severe decrease. Therefore, even if you suspect functional strabismus, it is better to visit a specialist for preventive purposes, so as not to aggravate the child’s problem in the future.

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Strabismus in children: types, signs, treatment methods

Description of the disease

Strabismus (strabismus) is the inability to focus on an object of interest with both eyes at the same time. Normally, the eye muscles should move together, which allows you to focus your gaze in one place. With strabismus, muscle function is impaired, one or both eyes deviate from the central axis, that is, they look in different directions, and the brain fails to combine two visible images into one.

With strabismus, the work of the eye muscles is impaired, one or both eyes deviate from the central axis

Minor deviations are observed in almost all infants. Newborns and infants up to 2–3 months cannot yet fix their gaze due to weakness of the eye muscles and insufficient control over them, so a slight squint at this age is a variant of the norm. By 3–6 months, the baby begins to coordinate eye movements.

If a six-month-old child’s eyes continue to “float” and look in different directions, you need to show the baby to a specialist.

At the age of two or three years, when the formation of friendly eye functioning occurs, there is a danger of developing true strabismus. The first signs of the disease that parents should pay attention to are a wandering gaze, an unnatural tilt of the baby’s head. Sometimes you can notice an anomaly in photographs of a child taken with a flash.

At an older age, trauma can trigger the onset of pathology. infectious diseases, inflammatory eye diseases. Sometimes strabismus develops again. After surgery to correct the defect in childhood, the muscles that were involved in pathological process, weaken again and the disease returns.

Strabismus negatively affects the psyche and character of the child. With absence binocular vision(perception of the surrounding world with two eyes) the baby cannot determine the location of surrounding objects, and this often provokes a delay in physical and mental development.

Children's strabismus - video

Classification of strabismus: divergent, vertical, convergent, paralytic, concomitant, etc.

According to the time of occurrence, congenital and acquired strabismus are divided. Congenital pathology is rare. An acquired disease is considered to be a disease that occurs in a child aged 1–3 years.

According to the stability of the manifestation, constant (75–80%) and periodic strabismus are distinguished. In the periodic form, signs of the disease appear under certain conditions, for example, during the baby’s illness, or during emotional experiences. Sometimes periodic strabismus becomes permanent.

Depending on the involvement of the eyes, the pathology can be monolateral (one-sided) or alternating (the baby squints with both eyes).

According to the type of deviation, strabismus is:

  • convergent (esotropia) – the eyes squint towards the nose;
  • diverging (exotropia) - the gaze deviates towards the temples;
  • vertical (deviation downwards or upwards);
  • mixed.

Based on their occurrence, strabismus is distinguished between friendly and paralytic. In the first case, the eyes deviate to the same extent from the straight position, the movements of the eyeballs are not limited, binocular vision is impaired, and double vision does not appear. The paralytic form occurs as a result of injury, infection, or vascular diseases, in this case, the mobility of the diseased eye is impaired or completely absent, and double vision occurs.

In addition to the types of anomaly described above, which are true, there is also imaginary (false) strabismus. The pathology occurs in infancy, the reason lies in the inability and inability of the baby to focus his gaze on a specific object. The main difference between the imaginary form of the disease and the true one is the preservation of binocular vision. The child perceives the world in full, without distortion.

Types of strabismus - gallery

Divergent strabismus - the gaze deviates towards the temples Vertical strabismus - the eye squints upward or downwards Convergent squint - the eyes squint towards the nose

Causes of the development of the disease in newborns, infants and older children

It is possible to determine the cause of strabismus in a child after a special ophthalmological examination.

Reason congenital disease can be:

  • difficult childbirth;
  • illnesses suffered during pregnancy;
  • use expectant mother some medicines and narcotic drugs;
  • genetic abnormalities (Down syndrome);
  • heredity;
  • prematurity;
  • congenital eye abnormalities;
  • cerebral palsy;
  • hydrocephalus.

Acquired strabismus develops acutely or gradually. The following factors contribute to this:

  • farsightedness, myopia. In order to see objects that are far or close, the child has to strain his eyes, as a result of which strabismus occurs over time;
  • past infectious diseases (measles, scarlet fever, influenza);
  • injuries;
  • stress, severe psychological shock;
  • high eye strain;
  • illnesses nervous system, which lead to disruption of communication between the brain and eyes.

Symptoms of the disease in children and adolescents

  1. The main sign of pathology is visible strabismus, when the disorder is determined visually.
  2. The child involuntarily tilts his head at a certain angle, looking at something, and squints one eye.
  3. The baby's perception of the depth of space is impaired, he bumps into objects and falls.

Preschoolers and adolescents may complain of blurred images, headaches, a feeling of tension in the eyes, light intolerance, and double vision. These signs occur periodically and intensify during illness or fatigue.

Diagnostic methods: how to determine congenital and acquired strabismus

  1. For the purpose of prevention, it is recommended to visit an ophthalmologist when the baby is three months old. The doctor will examine the patient’s eyelids through an ophthalmoscope, assess the size and position of the eyeballs, palpebral fissure, and determine the condition of the cornea and pupils.
    1. The angle of strabismus is determined by the Hirshberg method. During the study, the doctor evaluates the position of the light reflex on the cornea. The baby is asked to look at the ophthalmoscope light bulb, the reflection of which (light reflex) appears on the cornea. Normally, the reflection should be located in the center of the pupil. With strabismus, it deviates to one side.

    The study is necessary to assess the ability of the eye to refract light rays

  2. An additional research method is skiascopy, which allows you to evaluate the ability of the eye to refract light rays (refraction) and determine functional state eye.

    A six-month-old baby should have no signs of functional strabismus. Otherwise, you need to visit a specialist as soon as possible to diagnose accurate diagnosis, determination of refraction and angle of deviation, mobility of the eyeballs. Visual anomaly can be independent or a consequence of other pathologies.

When a child turns one year old, hidden strabismus can already be diagnosed. To identify pathology, a cover test is performed. The baby is covered with one eye and shown an object. With strabismus, one eye will begin to deviate to the side. After the baby reaches the age of three, his visual acuity can be checked using special table. To determine the state of binocular vision, a color test is used, on the disk of which there are 4 luminous circles (2 green, 1 white and 1 red). The baby is given glasses with lenses of different colors. The baby looks through the red glass with his right eye, and through the green glass with his left. Results:

  • a child with healthy eyes will see either three circles on the device disk Green colour and one red, or two circles of green and red;
  • if the functioning of one eye is impaired, two red or three green circles will be visible;
  • If both eyes are squinting, either two red or three green circles will be visible alternately.

Using a color test, the state of binocular vision is determined

A child with strabismus is also examined using a synoptophore. A child wearing glasses sits in front of the device. A division is set on the scale of the device, which corresponds to the distance between the baby’s pupils. The cassettes of the device contain special drawings illuminated by the lamps of the device. When turning lamps on and off, certain loads occur on visual apparatus. With the help of such a study, the doctor can establish the objective and subjective angle of strabismus, the possibility of binocular fusion.

To determine the causes of the disease, you may need to consult other specialists, in particular a neurologist.

Treatment methods in hospital and at home

Depending on the causes of the disease and the severity of its course, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. It is carried out both in a hospital setting (if strabismus is accompanied by other eye pathologies) and at home.

Conservative therapy

It is necessary to begin treatment of the pathology as early as possible, because the eye that deviates to the side begins to see worse and worse over time. At mild form strabismus, you can try to eliminate the problem using conservative therapy.

Occlusion

To correct the trajectory of the gaze of the affected eye, in some cases it is enough to increase the load on it. For this purpose, the healthy eye is temporarily closed with a special shutter (occluder) so that the baby begins to actively use the squinting eye. With bilateral strabismus, both eyes are glued alternately.

The essence of the occlusion method is to make the affected eye work

For the same purpose, special eye drops. Such drugs, when instilled, worsen vision in the healthy eye, and the affected one begins to work harder. But in most cases, such treatment is not enough, so it needs to be combined with other methods.

Special glasses

If the cause of the disease is farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism, it is necessary to wear special glasses. If they are selected correctly, the problem can be completely solved.

Wearing glasses is necessary for farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism

Medications

In complex therapy for strabismus, specialists often use blueberry-based medications with vitamins and minerals. In addition, we need nootropic drugs that nourish and activate brain cells. A neurologist should prescribe such medications.

Hardware treatment

There are several methods of hardware treatment that are selected according to individually. Therapy is carried out in courses of 5–10 procedures.

To consolidate the positive effect, it is worth repeating the course of treatment after a few months.

This therapy is suitable even for the youngest patients.

  1. Amblyocor. Used to correct lazy eye syndrome and promotes the development of binocular vision. Recommended for children from four years. During the session, the baby watches a video on the screen, while at the same time special sensors record information about the functioning of the eyes and the encephalogram of the brain. The video is played only with “correct” vision, and disappears when its acuity decreases. At the same time, the brain subconsciously strives to reduce periods of blurry vision. This method optimizes the activity of neurons in the visual cortex, resulting in improved vision.

Amblyocor helps optimize the activity of neurons in the visual cortex of the brain

Synoptophore. The device helps restore binocular vision and trains the child’s eye mobility. During the session, a separate image is presented for each baby's eye. The child must visually combine these objects. For example, one eye sees a car that needs to be moved into a garage that is visible to the other eye. This muscle training helps reduce the angle of strabismus, develops resistance to visual stress, and restores binocular vision.

Synoptophore helps restore binocular vision

Amblyopanorama. The child is in front of the device screen with the occluder closed with the healthy eye. The patient’s task is to fixate with the eye that sees worse one figure located on the screen, and with subsequent stimulation - any other figure. Then the retina is illuminated by pressing the synchro contact button.

Amblyopanorama helps improve visual acuity

Eye exercises

Strabismus on early stage can be treated with special exercises that help strengthen the eye muscles:

  1. Slowly move the index finger of the raised hand towards the nose. In this case, you need to carefully observe the movement of the finger with your eyes.
  2. Write figure eights with your eyes, draw circles, move your gaze from side to side, up and down.
  3. Look out the window for a while, then focus your gaze on nearby objects.
  4. A good workout for the eye muscles is playing games with a ball. While playing, the baby has to watch with his eyes an object approaching and moving away.
  5. You can draw a sheet of paper into cells, draw an animal or object in each cell. Images should be repeated periodically. The baby's task is to find and cross out identical pictures. You can use special pictures that show the same thing, but one of the pictures is missing some details. The child must find them. Activities with cards like “Find 10 differences” are also useful.
  6. The little ones will benefit from activities with a rattle. With one eye blindfolded, the toy is moved in front of the child's face, while the baby, without turning his head, must keep his gaze on the object. After a minute, close the other eye. To maintain the interest of the baby, the toy needs to be changed from time to time. When finishing the exercise, the bandage should be removed, bringing the toy closer to the child’s face. Both eyes should meet on the bridge of the nose.
  7. Make ten holes in the plastic plate. The child is given a lace and asked to thread it through the holes.
  8. To improve visual acuity in the affected eye, it is recommended to perform the light bulb exercise. For this lesson you will need a lamp with a frosted bulb. A plasticine ball is attached five centimeters from the lamp. They turn on the lamp, close the baby’s healthy eye and ask him to look at the ball for 30 seconds. The child must see dark circle with a light center. After the lamp is turned off, the baby looks at the lotto pictures until the image disappears.

With regular training, a positive effect is observed already after 2-3 months of training, but they must be continued until complete recovery.

Eye gymnastics - video

Surgical treatment: features, indications for surgery, rehabilitation after surgery

If conservative treatment does not produce results, the doctor may suggest surgery. The operation is indicated for children who have reached the age of three.

If the baby's vision is too weak, surgical intervention is not performed until the age of 12, since the poorly seeing eye may begin to squint again.

The essence surgical intervention consists of influencing the eye muscles, cutting and altering which the doctor achieves a symmetrical arrangement of the eyes. The procedure takes 1 day. For young children, the procedure is performed using mild anesthesia; for older children, local anesthesia is recommended.

Surgical intervention can be weakening or strengthening. In the first case, the purpose of the operation is to weaken the action of a strong muscle towards which the eye deviates. To do this, it is transplanted further from the cornea. During augmentation surgery, a weak muscle is shortened by removing part of it. After surgical treatment it is necessary to restore deep vision and binocular functions of the eyes.

Contraindications to surgery are infectious diseases of the respiratory system, dental diseases, severe somatic pathologies, and viral eye infections.

In the postoperative period, you must adhere to some recommendations:

  • Instill drops with anti-inflammatory properties into the eyes. Carry out the procedure three times a day for two weeks;
  • do not visit the pool, do not swim in open water for a month after the intervention;
  • prevent eye contamination;
  • refrain from heavy physical activity for two to three weeks;
  • You can visit child care facilities after 14 days.

Treatment prognosis and possible complications

To achieve a positive effect, treatment of the pathology must begin as early as possible, otherwise irreversible vision loss may occur. Most favorable prognosis observed in the concomitant form of strabismus, late detected paralytic strabismus is the most difficult to correct.

In the absence of treatment other than cosmetic defect it is possible to develop more serious complications, in particular amblyopia - sharp decline vision in the squinting eye, without signs of organic lesions of the fundus. Such a process may be irreversible. In addition, there is a possibility of complete dysfunction of the diseased eye.

Doctor Komarovsky about strabismus - video

Lifestyle during illness

  1. Excessive eye strain is contraindicated for a child with strabismus. Children under five years old should not be allowed to watch TV for more than half an hour a day; children under eight years old can increase their viewing time to 40 minutes. Don't rush to introduce your child to the computer too early.
  2. Eye strain usually increases as school starts. It's important to keep track correct posture child, do not allow him to bend low over notebooks or books. When reading, it is better to place the book on a stand. Carrying out homework, you need to take breaks every half hour.
  3. It's good for your baby to exercise table tennis and badminton, while training the eye muscles. You should not engage in strength sports or wrestling, as a head injury received during training can aggravate the situation.

Prevention

Simple rules will help protect your baby’s eyes from squint:

  • You cannot hang toys over the crib that attract too much attention from the child, as his gaze will be focused on one point;
  • rattles in the stroller are suspended at a distance arm's length crumbs;
  • in a supine position, both eyes of the child must experience the same load, otherwise the brain will lose the ability to receive signals from both eyes;
  • acquaintance with television should take place no earlier than 3 years, with a computer - no earlier than 8. The time for watching TV shows should be limited;
  • It is necessary to monitor the correct posture of the baby, especially at the desk.
  • protect your baby from stress and emotional turmoil;
  • Get regular checkups with an ophthalmologist.

When treating strabismus in a child, parents must show great endurance and patience, as this process can last several months and even years. The main thing is not to stop halfway and follow all the recommendations of the ophthalmologist.

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Remember: self-medication is dangerous!

Not all of a baby's body systems work as they should, and they still need to learn to function consistently and accurately. For this reason, babies may make unconscious and uncontrolled movements of their limbs and have trouble focusing on objects around them. The eyes of newborns often move to the sides or converge towards the nose; this behavior is called physiological strabismus. Gradually, the baby will learn to control his visual organs, move them synchronously and consciously, and the newborn’s strabismus should go away over time.

Why do newborns cross their eyes?

Strabismus in children can occur due to a different combination of reasons, which are completely physiological and go away over time:

  • imperfect functioning of the eye muscles;
  • farsightedness;
  • structural features of the skull of newborns.

The vision of newborn children is not yet as good as that of adults. As a rule, infants marked farsightedness is noted, which disappears over time. Until then, the baby does not see objects located near him and perceives only light sources. During this period, the child has nothing to focus his gaze on, so his visual organs are relaxed and a slight convergent or divergent strabismus occurs in newborns. Convergent strabismus in infants is characterized by a displacement of the pupils to the bridge of the nose, and divergent strabismus - to the sides.


By three months, his vision has leveled out, and he learns to follow moving objects in the distance with his eyes, for example, he watches his mother walk around the room or houses, trees and passers-by “drive” past him on a walk.

Strabismus in children under one year of age, caused by the structural features of the skull of newborns, gradually disappears by six months, since the halves facial bones, located at an angle, straighten out to their normal position over time. The baby's visual organs begin to work as nature intended; the baby is able to distinguish small objects located near him. With constant focusing, the muscles become stronger, and the eyes begin to obey their little owner.

Due to the fact that babies are farsighted, and the eye muscles have not yet learned to work harmoniously and coordinatedly, mild convergent or divergent strabismus occurs in children under one year old. When trying to focus on objects, the baby gets tired quite quickly, which is why one of the eyes may move to the side. Over time, the muscles will become stronger, and the visual organs will focus on objects for as long as the child needs.

If during the formation and development of the visual organs inside the womb or during childbirth, any problems arise (hypoxia or trauma), then pronounced persistent strabismus may appear in the newborn, resulting from hemorrhage in the nerve centers. If the position of the eyes does not change within three months, you need to visit an ophthalmologist for a consultation and subsequent treatment for strabismus in a newborn.

Do I need to go to the doctor?

Physiological strabismus in newborns goes away on its own by 2-3 months; in some infants this period can be extended to six months. Only the following can tell whether a child has real problems pediatric ophthalmologist, where you will pass routine examinations in the first month of life, at six months and at one year. As a rule, at the age of 6 months, the doctor can already accurately determine whether a newborn has persistent strabismus and prescribe appropriate therapy.

More frequent visits to the ophthalmologist are indicated for those children whose mothers had health problems during the development of their visual organs, or if there are relatives in the family with a similar pathology. The risk of developing strabismus in children may also arise due to a predisposition to farsightedness or nearsightedness. If one of the eyes sees poorly, then the muscles that control its movements do not work at full strength. Because of this, strabismus occurs in newborns who are prone to vision problems.

How to help your baby?

If a pediatric ophthalmologist diagnoses strabismus in your child, he will prescribe appropriate treatment. Complex application medicines, special exercises to strengthen muscles and devices to stimulate the “lazy” eye will help the baby overcome this unpleasant illness.

In order to prevent the development of persistent strabismus in a healthy baby, you need to adhere to certain measures to protect the eyes of the newborn. If you do not adhere to preventive rules, then physiological strabismus in infants can develop into a serious pathology.

  • since a baby under 3 months is farsighted, do not buy small toys for him; large objects will be more comfortable for his eyes;
  • there is no need to bring toys or other objects too close to the child’s visual organs, trying to focus on them, the baby can overstrain the eye muscles and harm the visual organs;
  • Try to arrange the room so that the awake baby has enough light, which will stimulate the movement of the eye muscles.
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U infants Some body functions are formed and stabilized by the age of six. As a result, certain pathologies arise in the child. Due to the weakness of the eye muscles, the baby is not able to focus his gaze, which is why his eyes look in different directions. Concerned parents are wondering: when does strabismus in newborns go away? Experts note that most often, as one grows older, this phenomenon disappears without a trace. It’s best to find out why a newborn baby’s eyes squint from a doctor. For precaution and confidence, a specialist will examine the baby and give appropriate recommendations.

Strabismus refers to a pathology of the visual organs in which one or both eyes look in different directions. The eye is directed in one direction, the other looks to the side, so the lines of vision do not intersect. That is, the muscular functioning of the organs of vision is not coordinated. Strabismus varies depending on the angle of gaze. With divergent strabismus, the ray of vision looks at the corner of the temple. This type is observed in 80% of children with strabismus. In 10% of cases, the gaze is directed at the tip of your nose, then this is a convergent squint. A fairly rare vertical form, in which one eye looks up or down. This deviation certainly worries parents, so a specialist will tell you when strabismus in newborns goes away. Monitor the condition and behavior of the baby.

The level of pathology of the visual organs in children is characterized by a degree of constancy. There is variable strabismus, in which case the eyes function independently of each other. Namely: the eyes are directed to the sides, and when focusing briefly on one object, they quickly scatter. This occurs due to underdeveloped binocular vision. Variable strabismus can occur in children under six years of age. Usually by this age, vision is normalized and there should be no reason to worry.

With constant strabismus, there is a continuous squinting of one eye. A deviation in which one eye is permanently directed at one point is an alarming signal for mom and dad. Due to the situation when a child under one year old constantly squints his eyes, his vision may weaken altogether. Because the eye that looks in one direction observes everything that happens incorrectly and distorted. Subsequently, the brain will not send the correct impulses to the baby. If this pathology is not treated, the consequences will be serious. Together with the baby mandatory undergo diagnostics if a deviation is detected.


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Why do the eyes of a newborn baby cross?

The occurrence of pathology when a baby's eyes squint is associated with a number of reasons. Occurs hereditary factor. Perhaps the mother was ill during pregnancy, there is a high probability that the baby is susceptible to various viral and chronic diseases. During a difficult birth, there is a risk of abnormalities, as well as with varying degrees severity of injuries and external damage to the visual organs. IN early period inflammatory processes and a number infectious diseases may provoke pathology.

In the absence of personal hygiene of the eyes, the area around them and the face and general unsanitary conditions, the baby’s vision can also be impaired. Incorrect close positioning of the toy mobile above the baby's head in a stroller or crib leads to visual impairment.

The first symptoms of strabismus are: unusual way hold the head, the child tilts his head to the side, squints and constantly rubs his eyes. We noticed the formation of a veil in the eyes, headaches, and different reflections in the pupil, which indicates pathology. At early diagnosis deviation probability full recovery vision is very high. First of all, parents must monitor and properly care for the baby at home. At the first doubt, visit a pediatrician and ophthalmologist to prevent serious pathological disorders.

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After the birth of a long-awaited child, parents begin to notice that the baby’s eyes are squinting, they can be reduced to the bridge of the nose or move apart to the temples. In such cases, inconsistency of visual actions occurs. There is no need to panic, but it is important to know when strabismus in newborns goes away. This ailment in infants is not uncommon and, according to doctors, is considered normal. The sooner you take action, the less likely it is that you will have strabismus for life.

There is no need to panic, but it is important to know when strabismus in newborns goes away.

The body is not fully formed when the baby is born. At this moment, many vital systems and organs begin to adapt to the world around them, gradually developing and assimilating new impulses. Together with everyone else, the visual organ – the eyes – develops. All people have 2 eyeballs held in place by muscles, and the brain directs their movement.

A one-month-old baby squints both eyes because his brain does not “know how” to give such signals and the same movements of the small eyes may be disrupted. The reason is due to the laws of nature; after a short period of time, strabismus in infants will disappear.

There are reasons that depend on the health status of mother and baby:

  1. A difficult pregnancy and long labor can cause a slight hemorrhage in the part of the brain that controls the coordination of the eyes.
  2. Stressful situations (baby crying) can disrupt the functioning of the eyeballs; the situation normalizes after the baby calms down.
  3. Viruses and infections that destabilize the functioning of the child’s entire body.
  4. Injury to the child's visual organ.
  5. Violation of hygiene standards in caring for the baby.
  6. Genetic predisposition to the disease.

If one of the parents has a pathology of the visual organ, then in 85% of cases it is passed on to the child, so the newborn begins to squint his eyes. The local pediatrician, who examines newborns on the day of discharge from the maternity hospital, should be immediately warned about this. Because it is Great chance transition of strabismus from a physiological form to a pathological one.

A one-month-old baby squints both eyes because his brain does not “know how” to give such signals and the same movements of the small eyes may be disrupted. The reason is due to the laws of nature; after a short period of time, strabismus in infants will disappear.

What parents need to know

Eyes are complex mechanism, it begins to work at full capacity in children after the first year of life. All this time, the baby’s visual organ is being formed:

  • in the first hours of life, the child reacts only to the light source;
  • at 1 – 2 months the gaze stops with the eyes only on large objects, the rest of the world is in a “fog”;
  • at 3-4 months, small toys and their movement are attracted, but the muscles that hold the eyeballs are still quite weak.

In 90% of cases, strabismus in a newborn occurs in the form when the eyeballs are shifted to the bridge of the nose and the gaze is collected, as people say, in a “heap.” The remaining 10% of babies have a divergent gaze, and their eyes look to the sides. Determining a disease is an easy process, even parents can identify it.

Experts say that strabismus in infants completely disappears four or six months after birth. In some cases, strabismus in children under one year of age persists and depends on individual characteristics baby's body. This doesn't mean you should sit back and wait for a positive outcome. It is necessary to control the situation:

  1. Visit an ophthalmologist regularly with your child. At 2, 4 and 6 months it is necessary to undergo examination by this specialist. Only when the child is six months old will he be able to accurately determine the diagnosis and identify one of two dozen types of strabismus.
  2. Fulfill visual gymnastics. When the baby begins to follow objects, place him reclining (possibly on bent knees) and move the toy from side to side. It is better to take a musical rattle so that the sound additionally attracts attention.
  3. Stimulate eye activity. Choose the largest toys for your child different colors, multi-colored educational crumbs are ideal. They need to be hung in a stroller or crib at such a distance that the baby can reach for them.

Absolutely all babies are born with farsightedness in 2 eyes. If you bring or hang toys close to the face, then the child, who is trying to focus his gaze on an object, may have his vision deteriorated for life, and you yourself will aggravate the squint in the infant.

What if after 6 months your eyes continue to squint?

In some cases, strabismus in children under one year of age persists and depends on the individual characteristics of the infant’s body. This doesn't mean you should sit back and wait for a positive outcome.

Parents should be concerned about the fact that the eyes move apart after 6 months. The causes and treatment in this case are interconnected. You need to contact a pediatric ophthalmologist, who will then necessary tests and examination, will answer why the defect persists and offer medication regimen treatment. Such strabismus is observed in children who experienced certain inconveniences in the womb or during childbirth that led to hemorrhage in the brain.

Strabismus of 2 eyes can be corrected. A timely visit to the doctor will help to avoid severe myopia, which, due to weak muscles of the visual organ, can quickly progress.

Medicine does not stand still and modern ophthalmology offices are equipped with devices for:

  • color therapy;
  • magnetic influence;
  • laser and vacuum stimulation.

Unfortunately, many techniques are designed for children over 2 years old; acupressure can be the maximum effect on the eyes of children under this age. It is carried out only after consultation with a doctor and is performed only by a professional.

Combining different treatment methods will help you recover faster. normal work eyeballs, and avoid serious pathologies of the visual organs. If you think that a childhood defect associated with strabismus will not hinder the child in the future, then you are deeply mistaken. Over time, the eye that looks slightly to the side will become worse at seeing, and completely different efforts will need to be made to eliminate this ailment. More than one summer will pass before the strabismus is completely cured.

Dec 27, 2016 Doc