Patient's question:
My baby was born with strabismus in their eyes. Since I had never noticed such a condition before, I initially thought it was just a developmental issue in young children and didn’t pay much attention. By the time the baby was three months old, I noticed that they wouldn’t turn their eyes when looking at people and always turned their head instead. At first, my family found it strange, as if the baby’s head was like a compass. Later, we took them to several nearby hospitals, and the doctors said it was normal and would improve as the child grew older. Since several doctors said there was nothing wrong, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off when I watched my baby’s eyes.By the time the baby was six months old, the elders in the family said that if there were any problems, they would have already shown by this age. When we visited the local provincial children’s health care hospital for an eye examination, the doctor diagnosed the baby with strabismus combined with amblyopia, stating that the eyes couldn’t alternate in focusing. The conclusion was that the left eye had 20 degrees of inward strabismus with severe amblyopia. The doctor advised us to cover the healthy eye for one hour each day to encourage the weaker eye to develop. We were to return for a follow-up visit after eight months.
At the eight-month check-up, the doctor said the eyes were already alternating in focusing, and no longer needed covering. The recommendation was to have a vision test around the baby’s first and a half years and consider surgery for correction afterward. Later, we visited three more top-tier hospitals for eye examinations, including some of the most renowned experts in our area. They advised us to wait until the amblyopia was fully corrected before addressing the strabismus, fearing we might miss the opportunity for the baby to naturally correct the issue.
After visiting several more hospitals, the doctors continued to recommend waiting until the baby was three years old and could cooperate with the vision test before undergoing any corrections. Eventually, one doctor suggested using atropine eye drops daily to dilate the pupils and see if there were any changes. Currently, there’s nothing else we can do except apply the eye drops, and we can only wait. However, now the baby is already one and a half years old.
Doctor's answer:
1, According to your child's condition, it can be diagnosed as congenital esotropia, and it is indeed necessary to have early surgery.2, There are two conditions required before surgery: alternating gaze and the hyperopia degree cannot be too high after refraction.
3, Considering your child's condition, it is best to have surgery around the age of 2. This is because there are various causes of infantile strabismus and amblyopia, and it is essential to understand the cause before treatment to implement a symptomatic treatment principle. Additionally, daily nursing measures are indispensable. It is recommended to drink more water and eat vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins.