Strabismus and Amblyopia

Strabismus

Strabismus is a condition in which the visual axes of the eyes lose parallelism and look in different directions. In the presence of strabismus, one eye may look straight and at the desired location while the other eye may shift inward, outward, upward or downward. Children do not develop three-dimensional vision as a result of the fact that two eyes not seeing in the same plane. In cross-eye situations which occur afterwards and are common in adults, usually caused by strokes, the image coming from the shifting eye cannot be suppressed, resulting in the complaint of double vision.

Although it is considered normal to have a short-term inward or outward shift in the eye in the first few months of life, shifts from the 4th month onwards, when it is possible to focus on the objects around, should be consulted by an ophthalmologist. Cataracts, eye tumors or neurological diseases can also be associated with strabismus. Having strabismus in family history, premature birth, difficult birth, high hyperopia, falling and inflammatory diseases increase the risk of strabismus.

It is a popular misbelief that strabismus in infancy will improve over time with growth, it is incorrect as strabismus never improves with growth by itself.

In addition, if there are people with strabismus or lazy eye in the family, the child should definitely be examined by an ophthalmologist at the age of 1-2 years. In addition, every child should have eye examinations until the age of 3.

How is Strabismus Treatment Performed?

The aim of treatment is to ensure that both eyes can be used together without adversely affecting visual development. After a detailed eye examination, treatment is planned according to the cause of the cross-eye. If there is an accompanying refractive error, the slip can be corrected by prescribing glasses for treatment. Strabismus without refractive error or strabismus that is not completely corrected with glasses requires surgical treatment. The earlier the strabismus treatment is performed, the more successful it will be.

When should children have an eye examination?

Eye examination in children should be performed starting from the newborn period. The first examination is performed by an experienced nurse or pediatrician in the newborn room. A general eye health examination by an ophthalmologist should then be performed at the 6th and 18th months. Even if the eyes look completely normal, the first visual examination should be performed in every child at the age of 3 to detect lazy eye.

Amblyopia - What is eye laziness?

Eyesight is a skill that the brain learns from infancy. When the baby is newborn, it distinguishes silhouettes, and by about 6 months of age, it learns to see in color and three-dimensionally. Eyesight development continues in children until the age of 8. If one eye has a higher refractive error than the other, a slip or a disorder that prevents it from seeing, such as cataracts or unilateral droopy lids, that eye learns to see blurry. If it is not treated in infancy and early childhood, the condition becomes permanent. When diagnosed early, that is, in the first 8 years of life, treatment is possible.

Treatment of Eye Laziness:

To treat lazy eye, the better-sighted eye is closed to force the use of the less-sighted eye. The simplest and most easily applicable treatment is this closing therapy. In addition to or as an alternative to closing treatment, pleoptic treatment and penalization treatments can be performed.

Cambridge Eye Stimulator (CAM therapy) is a treatment used to improve visual acuity, 3D vision and depth perception, as well as to increase contrast sensitivity. With this treatment, it is aimed to improve vision in 10-20 sessions by having children aged 5-15 years old through staining on contrast disks.

NeuroVision is a treatment program that enables the recognition of images in the brain by using a computer and a personalized program through sessions at home. In patients aged 10 years and older, it is aimed to improve visual acuity and quality by increasing contrast sensitivity with visual stimuli.

Do not hesitate to call your doctor if you have any questions about your child's eye problems.