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 young children, with an incidence rate of 2% to 5% among children. Early treatment can improve or restore vision in some children. There is one point that needs special attention for parents: the golden period for treating strabismus is between 3 and 6 years old. For those 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 eye axis 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—the length of the darkroom being too short results in a blurry image. In children with strabismus, this manifests as unclear vision, needing to sit very close to the TV, and in unilateral strabismus cases, even tilting the head to one side. During vision tests, the vision of one or both eyes declines and cannot be corrected to normal levels with lenses. Some children also have strabismus.
Treatment mainly includes: dilation and refraction, wearing accurately prescribed glasses, and strabismus training. For children diagnosed with strabismus, the first step is to dilate the pupils with 1% atropine for refraction to determine the degree of refractive error (avoid using computer refraction, as it can lead to errors due to the child's accommodation). The next step is to conduct trial lenses based on the refraction results, adjusting them appropriately to determine the optimal prescription, followed by fitting the glasses. Once the glasses are ready, strabismus training should begin. There are several methods:
1. Covering Method
Alternate covering the eyes—1-year-olds use a 3:1 ratio (covering the weak eye for 1 day, the healthy eye for 3 days), and this pattern continues: 2-year-olds use a 4:1 ratio, and 3-4-year-olds extend to 5:1.
2. Fine Motor Skills Training
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 attention promptly to identify the cause and receive accurate treatment.