2023-11-17 02:36:51
Parenting｜Is cross-eyes in children likely to lead to strabismus?Eye experts explain the signs of strabismus in children
A child’s vision development is very important, and early detection of problems can greatly help with treatment. Parents may sometimes notice that their children have esotropia, commonly known as “cross-eyes”. The eyes seem to be turned inward toward the bridge of the nose, and therefore worry that they may have vision problems. However, in fact, the phenomenon of “fake cross-eyes” in children is common. Ophthalmology Specialist of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Hospital Doctor Dr. Mak Siu-ting teaches parents to identify the true characteristics of strabismus and how to deal with it.
What is strabismus?
Strabismus is an eye disease. When a person looks at something, normally the visual axes of the eyes are parallel and look in the same direction. But strabismus means that the visual axes of the two eyes are not parallel. One eyeball is looking at the target, while the other eyeball is looking in other directions, causing the line of sight to deviate from the target. The eyes of strabismus may tilt inward, outward, upward, or downward, while esotropia is the more common type. Strabismus may be caused by congenital defects, acquired disease, or injury to the brain, cranial nerves, eyes, or eyeball muscles. In addition, severe hyperopia may also cause strabismus in children. If strabismus is not treated in time, it may lead to poor vision development in that eye and even amblyopia, and it will also affect the normal development of visual function.
Esotropia in the left eye (Photo: Family Health Service, Department of Health)
Parents suspect that their children have “cross-eyes”. Dr. Mak points out that it is not uncommon for children to have false cross-eyes. When we observe the position of the children’s eyes, at first glance, both eyes seem to be tilted inward toward the bridge of the nose at the same time, but in fact, both eyes The eyes normally look straight forward in the same direction. Because the facial features of children are different from those of adults, some children have flat and wide nose bridges, which makes their eyes look inward, causing the illusion of cross-eyes. However, this is just a “fake cross-eyes” and not a real strabismus. It will not affect the child’s vision development.
Dr. Mak pointed out that it is not uncommon for children to have false cross-eyes. When we observe the position of a child’s eyes, at first glance, both eyes seem to be tilted inward toward the bridge of the nose at the same time. However, in fact, both eyes are normally looking straight forward in the same direction. . (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Strabismus aura and examination methods
Dr. Mak said that the impact of strabismus can be large or small, and correct diagnosis and treatment must be made as early as possible. If parents take care of their children or notice abnormalities in the position of their children’s eyes when looking at photos, or if their children like to tilt their heads, squint their eyes frequently, or even cover one eye to see, they may have strabismus and should seek advice from an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Evaluate.
Ophthalmologists will conduct a series of tests on children, including using a light source to observe their pupillary reflexes and conducting a “cover-uncover test”. The doctor will first cover one eye with a mask, and then quickly remove the mask to observe the movement of the eyes to determine whether the child really has strabismus. This ensures that strabismus problems receive appropriate attention and treatment to promote the child’s vision development and normal growth of visual function.
Dr. Mak Siu-ting, ophthalmologist at the Chinese University Hospital of Hong Kong
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