Squint
What is a squint?
A squint or strabismus occurs when the eyes are not aligned properly, e.g. one eye may turn inwards, outwards, up, or down. When one eye turns the eyes can no longer work together as a pair and a squint develops. This may occur at any age and commonly occurs when someone is longsighted. A squint is a binocular vision problem. Untreated squints can lead to loss of vision (lazy eye) in the squinting eye and should always be assessed by an Orthoptist even if it is only apparent some of the time. A child is never too young to be examined or for treatment to commence. Often, the sooner treatment is started, the better the results. It is never too late to treat a squint which is cosmetically unacceptable and glasses, prisms or surgery can give good results in many cases.
When do squints develop?
Squints can occur at any age. A baby can be born with a squint or develop one soon after birth. This is called Infantile squint. Sometimes a baby has a pseudo squint where the shape of the face may give the appearance of a squint, although there is not a true deviation of the eyes. In these cases, the appearance will improve as the child grows. A baby will not grow out of a true squint and should be assessed at the earliest opportunity. Where the eye wanders some of the time and appears straight otherwise, this is still a squint and can be the sign of an underlying problem.
What causes a squint?
A squint is caused by the eye muscles not being balanced correctly and this prevents the eyes from being used together correctly. The cause of squint may not be obvious but can include a family history, long or short sightedness, injury or viral illness.
How will a squint affect my child?
The ability to use both eyes together as a pair is termed binocular vision. A squint may result in loss of binocular vision, reduced vision ( amblyopia) and poor appearance. A child without binocular vision will not have full 3-D vision or appreciation of depth. Reduced vision occurs in a squinting eye not being used as much as the other, as the brain ignores the squinting eye and the vision doesn't develop properly. If a squint remains untreated, the vision of that eye can be permanently damaged. Depending on how much the eye turns, the squint may be very noticeable which, can be distressing to the child if commented on.