Strabismus affects children’s grades
ANY condition that affects a child’s visual appearance, such as strabismus, can cause severe psychological impact, making it difficult for her to make friends, study or develop self-esteem.
On top of that, strabismus is associated with vision problems, which cause learning difficulties that result in delayed developmental milestones and poor academic performance.
Strabismus, also known as squinting, is a common problem among children, sometimes even from birth.
Dr Vijaya Mohan, senior consultant ophthalmologist and paediatric eye specialist, explains, “In the past, a squint was considered good luck and elders thought it would resolve spontaneously, but this is not true. Squinting in children has to be addressed before they go to school.”
Common types of squinting are eyes turned inwards (esotropia) or outwards (exotropia). Some babies have a pseudosquint (false squint) and there are other types of squinting. If parents notice that their child is squinting, such as having misaligned eyes, they must visit the ophthalmologist.
For strabismus, there are various modes of treatment such as spectacles, orthoptic exercise, patching exercise and squint surgery. If strabismus is not addressed early, problems that often occur include amblyopia (lazy eyes), loss of binocular single vision (depth perception loss) and poor facial aesthetic.
“A squint can be treated if detected early, allowing a child to achieve her highest visual and life potential. Parents should bring their children for eye examinations from as early as three years old.
“In addition, if a child shows signs of having vision problems such as regularly knocking over objects or sitting too close to the television, an eye check is warranted,” Dr Vijaya adds.