Strabismus in children under one year: causes, diagnosis, treatment

Looking at small children, there is often a feeling that the eyes are slightly mowed. It is not always necessary to be frightened. In medicine, this condition is called "lazy eyes" (strabismus) and arises from the inability of the infant to fully control his eye muscles. Because of the weakness of these muscles, eyeballs move slightly uncoordinated when the baby tries to look at a moving or static object. Eyes will be strengthened to three or four months of life. If the child still has this problem, then it is necessary to consult a doctor.

To monitor the correct development of the child, you must regularly visit a doctor.

What it is

Strabismus (strabismus, heterotropy) refers to the disturbed position of the eyes, which reveals the deviation of one or both eyeballs, both in a straight line and in turn. When the position of the eyes is symmetrical, the retina of both eyes receives images of objects in the central part. The very first sign of strabismus is an asymmetrical view.

Any violation of the position of eyeballs can be diagnosed only by an ophthalmologist.

In medicine, there are several types of this ailment:

• Horizontal strabismus - occurs most often.There may be two types: Convergence or esotropia. In this case, the eyes look at each other, as if coming to the bridge of the nose. Divergent or exotropic. With this strabismus, the eyes diverge in different directions, toward the outer corner of the eyes.
• Vertical strabismus - is less common.Also divided into two types: Hypertropy - when the eyes are directed upward. Hypotropy - in this case the eyes are directed downwards.

Depending on whether one eye is mowing or both, the strabismus may be alternating or monocular.

• Monocular strabismus - the position of only one eye is disturbed.In this case, the mowing eye is practically not functioning. The CNS protects the brain from a "double" image and the eyeball "turns on" only when the healthy eye is narrowed or closed. Because of this, with time, dysbinocular amblyopia begins to develop and vision on the mowing eye falls.
• Alternating strabismus - the position of both eyes is disturbed.They mow one by one, but this makes it possible to use both of them. With such a strabismus, visual functions will last longer and appear in a more mild form.

False and true strabismus

Many parents are very frightened when they notice strabismus in newborn babies.

Up to four months of age, this is not a medical problem. Rather, it is related to the developmental features of the baby: the skull structure is special to this age, and it is still difficult for the kid to properly control his body.

Including eyes. To calm the parental nerves, it is enough to go to a doctor who can refute or confirm fears.Most often, all fears disappear after several special tests and parents can again sleep peacefully.Only after the detection of any oculomotor disorders, it is possible to diagnose true strabismus.

False strabismus is not dangerous and with age passes by itself, without requiring any intervention.

Causes

Vision is a very sensitive organ and excluding some factors you can protect the baby from further health problems. Or to be more attentive to his eyes if there is such a predisposition.

The reasons may be:

• Genetic predisposition.If the next of kin already has such a problem, it is better to visit an ophthalmologist more often.
• Various pathologies during pregnancy and illnesses during pregnancy.
• Birth trauma of the brain or cervical spine.This can lead not only to strabismus, but also to other vision problems.
• Heavy illnesses in the first months of a baby's life.If the immunity of the child has been greatly reduced due to illness, it can lead to vision problems and even strabismus.
• The toys are too close to the baby's bed.The kid immediately learns to incorrectly focus the vision, which leads to further problems.
• Severe head injury can lead to strabismus.
• Psychological trauma, mental disorders.
• Sometimes the causes may be scarlet fever, measles or a strong form of flu.
• Already available ametropia.

What is the difference between the treatment of conjunctivitis in pregnant women read here.

The child's body is very sensitive. So much stress for him can lead to unforeseen consequences. So the reaction to vaccination can cause strabismus.

Symptoms

A clear violation of the position of the eyes can be seen immediately, but there are cases of a latent form of this ailment.This is a manifestation of an imbalance in the muscle tension of the eyes - the eyeball moves at the expense of six muscles and each is in a certain degree of tension. Virtually all of them have an imbalance.Rarely anyone worried, but if it is prompted by rapid eye fatigue, the baby can fall under the risk factor. The tension reaches a high point, myopia develops and then the strabismus becomes obvious.

When and why there is a false short-sightedness will tell this material.

Let the eyes of your child relax. This can protect him from many vision problems in the future.

Diagnostics

The most simple diagnosis can be done at home.You need to ask someone to attract the kid's attention with a toy and cover the eye with a piece of cardboard. Then cover the second eye, carefully following the first.The position of the first eye should not change - the child should continue to look at the toy. The same thing you need to observe and the second eye. If the position has not moved. That there is no cause for concern.

In medical institutions, diagnosis will be difficult and will take a lot of time.First of all, the doctor will check the visual acuity. The procedure is carried out at the beginning without the use of correcting lenses, and then with them. Now for this procedure can be used computer technology. They more accurately identify problems.

It is necessary to determine the volume of motion, the angle of strabismus and the position of the eyes. Also it is necessary to examine the anterior segment, the conducting medium of the eye, the fundus. It is necessary to determine the refraction of the eyes in the child.This procedure is done on a narrow and wide pupil. The next step will be a binocular vision study.

How to choose contact lenses, see this article.

After receiving all the data and consulting with an ophthalmologist, you can start treatment.

Do not self-medicate. This will only harm your child!

Treatment

A very important factor in the treatment of strabismus is timeliness. The launched variants are more difficult to correct, so it is better not to delay the visit to the doctor.

True strabismus does not pass by itself. To eliminate it, complex treatment is necessary, and the lost time will only aggravate the situation of the child.

Treatment begins with the correct selection of glasses.Without them, there is no way to do it and only the ophthalmologist should do this. None of the best optometrist salon employees can help your child, but will only do worse.Quite often it is precisely the wearing of correctly selected glasses that almost completely correct the problem of strabismus.

If the glasses could not cope with vision problems, then there is nothing terrible. The doctor connects the hardware treatment. For each baby, the program is developed individually, taking into account all the features of the structure of the baby's eyes. Sometimes, surgical intervention is necessary.

There is nothing dangerous in surgical intervention, and even the most complex strabismus can correct it. Moreover, even before the procedure begins, it will be possible to see what eyes will become after the procedure.Surgical intervention allows you to achieve complete correction of any strabismus.

After surgery, doctors do not leave the baby to the mercy of fate and fully control the process of his recovery. They form various complexes for training the eye muscles and completely restore the baby's sight.

Useful exercises for eye muscles see this link.

It is important to understand that the child's vision system is formed up to three to four years. After this age it is very difficult to restore the position of the eyes, and the child's brain will be harder to adapt to a new vision of the world.

Complications

Not in time the treatment begun can develop into a serious pathology. After all, the mowing glazik does not work at full strength, but eventually it is completely turned off. Collect then a single picture will be very difficult.One more problem can be encountered in the future - the baby will cease to perceive the spatial volume.For him, the world will always be seen as flat.

Prevention

The most important prevention will be a timely visit to the ophthalmologist. For babies - 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Then at least once a year.Be sure to follow all the doctor's recommendations and do not forget about gymnastics for the eyes.

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Conjunctivitis in a child can manifest in the early stages of development, especially in infancy.

What is low-grade hypermetropia of both eyes: http://eyesdocs.ru/zabolevaniya/gipermetropiya/srednej-stepeni.html.

Multifocal lenses for glasses: how to create and why so popular read in this article.

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conclusions

And once again I would like to recall that the strabismus in children causes a variety of reasons - so it is very important to establish the true. Below, we outlined the most common of them, but remember that in no way If you can not try to diagnose yourself - this can lead to the most unpredictable consequences. The information in this article is given only for general introduction of parents into the course of the case and can not be used as a guide to independent treatment.

Also, do not forget that strabismus develops and in the future will have a negative impact on adulthood. The causes of strabismus in small children can be different factors, but the root cause can only be distinguished by a doctor. And in any case, do not panic, because modern medicine is now able to cope with a lot of problems. And all information is placed only for familiarization and is not in any way an instruction. Do not forget to drip the baby with vitamin eye drops to improve the immunity prescribed by the doctor.

For what you need vitamin eye drops read here.

Do not miss routine examinations at the pediatrician!