Strabismus, or squint, is a misalignment of the eyes. It can be normal in a baby up to 6 months of age, when the still-immature vision does not yet allow the eyes to align. After 6 months, it is always abnormal.
Why detect it early?
Beyond the aesthetic aspect, an eye that is not centred does not look properly, and the part of the brain that processes its images does not develop. Without care in early childhood, vision on that side will remain blurred for life: this is amblyopia. After the age of 6 or 7, the brain's ability to learn to see is lost.
Treatment in children
Treatment usually begins with glasses if needed, then with intermittent patching of the good eye to force the weaker eye to work. Once vision is recovered in that eye, the conditions are right to operate and straighten the eyes.
