Pediatric & Squint
Pediatric squint, also known as strabismus, is a condition in which a child's eyes do not align properly. One eye may turn inwards, outwards, upwards, or downwards while the other eye looks straight ahead. This misalignment can be constant or intermittent. Strabismus can affect depth perception and lead to amblyopia (lazy eye) if left untreated. It is a common condition in children and requires early diagnosis and treatment to prevent long-term vision problems
Types of Pediatric Squint
- Esotropia: Inward turning of one or both eyes. Commonly seen in infants and young children.
- Exotropia: Outward turning of one or both eyes. Can be constant or appear intermittently, often when the child is tired or focusing on distant objects.
- Hypertropia: One eye turns upward.
- Hypotropia: One eye turns downward.
Causes of Pediatric Squint
- Genetic factors: Family history of strabismus.
- Refractive errors: Uncorrected farsightedness can cause inward turning of the eyes.
- Muscle or nerve abnormalities: Issues with the muscles or nerves controlling eye movement.
- Medical conditions: Conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or brain tumors./li>
- Trauma: Injury to the eye or head.
Symptoms of Pediatric Squint
- Misaligned eyes: One eye may turn in a different direction than the other.
- Double vision: The child may see two images of a single object.
- Closing one eye: To see clearly or to avoid double vision.
- Head tilting: To use the eyes together and compensate for misalignment.
- Poor depth perception: Difficulty judging distances.
