Patient's question:
My child is now 3 years old. We have found that his eyes are a bit slanted and he has amblyopia.Doctor's answer:
Strabismus is a serious eye disease that harms the development of visual function in children. The incidence rate among children is 2% to 5%. Early treatment can improve or restore vision in some children. There is one point that deserves special attention for parents: the golden period for treating strabismus is between 3 and 6 years old. Beyond this age, the treatment effect is extremely poor, or even ineffective.The common cause of strabismus is refractive insufficiency strabismus, with hyperopia being the most prevalent. Some children also have astigmatism, primarily due to incomplete development of the eye, with a shorter axial length than normal, causing light to fail to focus on the retina and resulting in blurred vision. This is like using a camera to take a photo when the darkroom is too short, resulting in a blurry image. In children with strabismus, they may appear to see things unclearly, sit too close to the TV, or even have a sidelong gaze in cases of monocular strabismus. During vision tests, the vision of one or both eyes may decline and cannot be corrected to normal with lenses. Some children may also have strabismus.
Treatment mainly includes: dilation and refraction, wearing accurately prescribed glasses. Strabismus training. For children diagnosed with strabismus, the first step is to use 1% atropine for dilation and refraction to determine the degree of refractive error (avoid using computer refraction, as it may lead to errors due to the of the child's eyes). The next step is to perform trial lenses based on the refraction results, adjust them appropriately to determine the optimal prescription, and then prescribe glasses. Once the glasses are ready, strabismus training should begin. There are several methods:
1. Covering Method – Alternate covering the eyes, with a 3:1 ratio for 1-year-olds (covering the weak eye for 1 day and the healthy eye for 3 days), and so on. For 2-year-olds, it's 4:1, and for 3-4-year-olds, it extends to 5:1.
2. Fine Motor Activity Method – Practice writing, threading needles, and other activities under parental supervision.
3. Strabismus Treatment Device – Use the device 1-2 times a day for 10-20 minutes each session. Once vision improves to normal, stop immediately. However, it is essential to follow the doctor's guidance and observe for 2 years to confirm the cure.
In addition to refractive insufficiency strabismus, other causes include strabismus strabismus, refractive anisometropia strabismus, deprivation strabismus, and congenital strabismus. It is important to seek medical examination promptly to identify the cause and receive accurate treatment.