Early diagnosis of squint will enable more effective treatment. In the past, it was thought that after a “critical period”, squint s could not be treated. While treatment up to the age of 6years is believed to be most effective, squint can be treated at any time.

Signs and Symptoms In Children

The sign of a squint is fairly obvious from an early age. One of the eyes does not look straight ahead. A minor squint may be less noticeable. Infants and newborns may go cross-eyed, especially if they are tired. This does not mean that they have a squint. Parents can check with their doctor. If a child has one eye closed or turns their head when looking at you, this could be a sign of double vision and a possible squint. It is a good idea to see a doctor. Squint is normally either present at birth or it develops in the first 6 months after birth.

Causes

Squint Can Be:

• Congenital, meaning a person is born with it
• Hereditary, or running in families, suggesting a genetic link
• The result of an illness or long-sightedness
• Due to a lesion on a cranial nerve
• If the eye cannot focus the light as it comes in through the lens, this is known as a refractive error.

Other Problems that Can Lead to Strabismus Include:

• Myopia, or short-sightedness
• Hypermetropia, or long-sightedness
• Astigmatism, where the cornea is not curved properly
• A refractive error tends to make the affected eye turn inward, in an attempt to get a better focus.

Squint that results from refractive errors tends to emerge later on, usually around the age of 2 years or older. Hydrocephalus can also lead to squinting. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which too much cerebrospinal fluid builds up in and around the brain.

Some viral infections, such as measles, can cause strabismus. Other conditions that can cause it to include Noonan syndrome and some other genetic conditions.

Diagnosis

Children and babies should have routine eye checks as they develop. If there are signs of strabismus, the physician or optician will refer the child to an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist will probably use eye drops that dilate the pupils before the test is done. The Hirschberg test, or Hirschberg corneal reflex test, is used to assess whether the patient has a squint. The ophthalmologist shines a light in the eye and observes where the light reflects from the corneas. If the eyes are well-aligned, the light will go to the centre of both corneas. If it does not, the test can show whether the patient has exotropia, hypertropia, esotropia or hypotropia.

Some people may have more than one tropia at the same time.

Treatment Option:

Prompt treatment reduces the risk of complications, such as amblyopia, or lazy eye. The younger the patient is, the more effective treatment is likely to be.