An eye disorder characterized by crossed or misaligned eyes.

Strabismus is an eye problem affecting approximately 5% of children. It is more common among children born prematurely and children with cerebral palsy. It may be evident in the first months of life, or begin when the child is between two and three years old. Beyond this age, onset of strabismus is rare. Strabismus is diagnosed by looking at a child's eyes. Parents should be aware that an infant may often appear to have temporarily crossed eyes, because the muscles that control eye movements are still developing. If a child is older than six months and seems to have persistently crossed eyes, the child may have strabismus. Sometimes the eyes do not cross in, but may look outward, upward, or downward. The eyes may be more or less turned depending on the angle of the child's gaze, and the turn may not be constant, but appear intermittently. A child who persistently tilts her head or turns her face may also be exhibiting a warning sign of strabismus.

Because the eyes are not properly aligned in the child with strabismus, the child cannot focus properly and may have double vision. To compensate for this, the child may use only one eye, and vision in the other does not develop normally. This leads to amblyopia, or lazy eye. Therefore, it is important to catch strabismus early and begin treatment.

In examining a child for strabismus, an ophthalmologist will check for any underlying organic problem such as a tumor, cataracts, or atrophy of the optic nerve. Then the doctor may measure the refraction of the eyes to fit corrective lenses. Some children can be treated successfully for strabismus with prescription glasses. If one eye is substantially weaker than the other, the child may be treated with an eye patch. The patch is worn over the stronger eye so the weaker eye develops. If glasses do not cure the strabismus, the child may then need surgery to align the eye.

For Further Study

Books

Collins, James F. Your Eyes: An Owner's Guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995.

Savage, Stephen. Eyes. New York: Thomson Learning, 1995.

Showers, Paul. Look at Your Eyes. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1992.

Zinn, Walter J., and Herbert Solomon. Complete Guide to Eyecare, Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses. Hollywood, FL: Lifetime Books, 1995.

Organizations

American Academy of Ophthalmology
Address: P.O. Box 7424
San Francisco, CA 92120-7424

National Eye Institute
Address: Building 31, Room 6A32
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-5248