When you look at your child and notice that they are not looking directly back at you, there are many reasons that you should/could be concerned. Children can suffer with problems in their vision from the day they are born. Just like adults, children can have vision impairments, but the difference with children is the impairment may be able to be fixed if identified and corrected within a certain amount of time. Going to a local pediatric eye care physician in Grand Rapids will help you and your child by identify what is going on with your child’s eyes and get the monitored eye correction they need.
Strabismus
Children can be born with misaligned eyes. This does not refer to the placement of their eyes on their face being perfectly symmetrical, but it is talking about when one eye is not focused on the same thing the other eye is focused on. This is a medical condition known as Strabismus. Many people refer to this condition as cross-eyed because often times at least one if is focused on the nose giving a “crossed” appearance. There are specific names of the directional condition of Strabismus. For example, if one eye is focused and the other drifts to the corner this is called exotropia. If it drifts up, then it is called hypertropia. Going to see your pediatric eye care professional in Grand Rapids will be able to tell you exactly what is happening with your child.
Why This Happens
Eye misalignment is basically the result of one of three occurrences; the eye muscles are weak, there is an issue with the nerves behind the eyes, or there is an issue in the part of the brain that controls eye movement. Different medical conditions can cause Strabismus in children. If a child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, one of the systems may be that one eye drifts to the corner while the other is focused on the parent. Another cause may simple be genetics. Strabismus is hereditary. If you, the child’s siblings, or their grandparents, have Strabismus, it is possible the child can have it as well. Getting pediatric eye care in the Grand Rapids area, may be the best course of action to find out the next steps to helping your child. Babies as young as three months old are able to receive treatment for their Strabismus.
