Strabismus and your Preschooler

Strabismus is a technical term for misaligned eyes that can cause various degrees of problems, and is of particular importance when occurring in the critical preschool years of development. If you’ve noticed that your preschooler’s eye strays, even occasionally, here is an overview of the impact this may have and the importance of having even the tiniest of misalignments checked out.

What is strabismus?

Strabismus goes by various names such as a “lazy eye” or being “cock eyed,” but whatever you call it, it can cause a lot of difficulties if left untreated. Strabismus is when one or more of the muscles that control eye movements, in one or both eyes, is weak and not performing properly. Depending on the condition of the weakened muscle(s), a wide array of signs can occur. In one case, your preschooler may have one eye that turns in or out only when they are tired. In another case, both of your preschooler’s eyes may turn in when reading or doing near tasks. There are a myriad of symptoms in between.

A common type of strabismus that is accommodative esotropia. This is when one or both of your preschooler’s eyes turns in when reading or doing other near work. This happens because a weak eye muscle and an excessive focusing power cause the muscle to turn in too much. This can cause symptoms of headache, blur, and jumping and swimming words when reading, and eventually the avoidance of reading altogether. Preschooler’s are then mislabeled as poor learners when, in reality, it is the symptoms of the strabismus they are unknowingly avoiding. With a pair of glasses, this problem can be solved.

Another type of strabismus that requires special attention, and one that is often difficult to ignore, is a constant eye turn of one eye. This requires immediate attention and treatment! Untreated, this leads to amblyopia.

How can strabismus affect your preschooler’s performance?

Without proper eye alignment, your preschooler has reduced depth perception. Reduced depth perception can affect activities in play and learning activities. On the playground, your preschooler may show signs of more clumsiness when climbing and running around. In preschool, activities that require picking things up and hand eye coordination may appear reduced.

If you notice any signs of a turned eye, whether in, out, up or down, in one or both eyes, it’s important to have this examined by a pediatric eye care professional (ophthalmologist or optometrist). Even if this occurs only occasionally, this should be reported and checked out by an eye doctor.

Treatments can include:
1. Eye surgery to tighten the weakened muscle(s)
2. Ongoing use of an eye patch
3. Ongoing eye/vision therapy
4. Glasses or therapeutic contact lenses

By: Pia Chaparro