What To Do If You Suspect Your Child May Have Strabismus

Strabismus 一 more commonly referred to as crossed eyes 一 is a common eye condition that affects children who have weak eye muscle control. In order to see clearly, all six muscles in your eyes must coordinate together to focus on the same spot, but poor muscle control can compromise this process. Strabismus can also develop in children who are very farsighted. 

Because untreated strabismus can make it hard for children to see clearly, Nicanor Lacsina, OD and Yelena Pinkhasova, OD encourage you to seek pediatric eye care for your child if you suspect they have strabismus. Read more to learn about strabismus and how it’s treated here at Bainbridge Eye Care in Bronx, New York.

Signs your child has strabismus

You may suspect that your child has strabismus if your child’s eyes look in different directions at the same time. One eye may look straight ahead while the other looks up, down, in, or out. While crossed eyes are the most common sign of strabismus, it’s not the only one.

You may also notice the following:

• Your child frequently closes one eye when looking at an item
• Your child tilts their head when looking at something

Both of these actions 一 closing one eye and tilting the head 一 are common strategies to try and get both eyes to work together. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, children with strabismus may squint with only one eye when outside in bright sunlight. 

In addition to the physical observations you may make, your child could also struggle with reading books or the whiteboard at school, performing tasks that require close vision skills, or judging depth when participating in sports. These symptoms may also contribute to fatigue, headaches, and eye strain.

What to expect from pediatric eye care

Because untreated vision problems 一 not limited to strabismus 一 can affect your child’s safety, academic performance, or sports performance, it’s important to seek pediatric eye care at the first sign of any issue. 

With over 20 years of experience, our team here at Bainbridge Eye Care is skilled in diagnosing and treating eye conditions in our youngest patients. Strabismus is diagnosed in a comprehensive eye exam.

During the exam, Dr. Lacsina and Dr. Pinkhasova may:

• Review your child’s symptoms
• Review your child’s health history as well as family history 
• Assess visual acuity (if your child is old enough to read letters on a chart)
• Examine your child’s visual activity
• Check refraction to see how your child’s eyes focus on light
• Perform alignment and focus tests

We may also dilate your child’s eyes so we can better examine the health of your child's internal eye structures. 

If strabismus is the source of your child’s symptoms, our team reviews all treatment options with you. Potential treatments include prescription eyeglasses, prism lenses to correct double vision, and vision therapy. If your child has other eye conditions, such as farsightedness, we can recommend the appropriate treatment for those conditions too.

To learn more about strabismus or to schedule a pediatric eye exam, call our Bainbridge Avenue office at 718-306-9142. You can also request an appointment online.