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Children's health

Squint

14 replies

yoey · 20/07/2011 23:37

My DD1 is 3 years old and has a divergent squint in her left eye. She has had an initial appointment at the eye hospital and has another in August when she will be tested to see if it has worsened. I think it is getting worse in that I notice the squint more frequently than say 6 months ago. I completely trust the opinion of the consultant we will see, but I'm wondering whether anyone can advise me on what is likely to happen to her at he next appointment and what are the likely outcomes? For instance if it's likely that I'll be told she needs an operation I think I need to steel myself as I don't want to frighten her with an upset reaction. Will she have stinging drops in her eyes for the next tests? Will she perhaps be given a patch? Thanks in advance for any replies.

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Seona1973 · 21/07/2011 08:24

she wont be given a patch unless one eye has poorer eyesight than the other as the patching helps improve the eyesight in the weaker eye. The patching isnt to help the squint itself. Is she being prescibed glasses or is her eyesight ok and she just has a squint? My dd had a squint but it was because she is long sighted and she got glasses. She also had patching treatment because the sight in her left eye was poorer than her right eye. She did get an operation on her squint but only because it was still noticeable when she had her glasses on.

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yoey · 21/07/2011 08:56

Thank you for replying... Her eyesight is good in both eyes. Although she often shuts the squint eye to see distant objects, the person we saw at the eye hosp said children with a squint often do this despite having good vision. If you don't mind me asking- how old was your DD when she was operated on? How was it? My DD has undergone an operation aged 12 weeks (unrelated to eyes) & I'm a bit frightened about her having to have another!

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Seona1973 · 21/07/2011 12:14

dd was 4 when she had the operation and was in and out the same day once she had eaten/drunk wihtout being sick (op took about 45 mins). It was sore for a few days after but she had painkillers prescibed by the hospital and we also had eye drops to put it (the worst bit of it all as she hated getting them in). She was back to nursery within a week and swimming after about 2 weeks. Her eye was red for a while but the soreness wore off after a few days.

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jenniec79 · 21/07/2011 12:17

Mine wasn't spotted until I was 12 so far too late for patching or for surgery to be anything but cosmetic.

I had a load of eye muscle exercises for a couple of years, but to be fair I was crap at keeping going with them. I only squint if I'm utterly shattered these days.

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yoey · 21/07/2011 14:20

Seona thanks for your reassuring info... That's much better than I expected.

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HowToLookGoodGlaikit · 21/07/2011 21:15

My DS also has a squint, in both eyes! He has been wearing glasses since 17 months old, but wont be patched as his eyesight is equal. They are hoping to do his op next year, which will only be day surgery. I had the op myself at age 4, so I know how my DS will be aterwards!

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yoey · 22/07/2011 08:07

Hmm, I'm wondering whether this is hereditary as HowTo and my DH had q squint as children. Am also wondering if my DD's vision is really ok- tho it'll be checked out in august I'm sure.

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DBennett · 22/07/2011 16:42

Having a turn in the eye is partially hereditary but there are lots of different genes involved so it's much more complicated than two parents with turns having a child with a turn.

There are also some environmental factors, both known and ones less understood.

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yoey · 22/07/2011 17:53

Environmental factors, DBennett? I can feel an excuse coming on to blame myself, it doesn't take much in my case! Thank you all for your replies. I'm trying to gently prepare DD for the next appointment and you've at least caused me to feel calmer about the process.

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DBennett · 22/07/2011 18:34

I don't mean letting them sit too close to the TV or anything like that.

A child is more likely to have a turn in the eye is they're born premature or have brain injury from a stroke or inflammation that happens before birth.

Sometimes a viral infection can cause the eye motor control to break down and a child's eye starts to turn.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of things linked to turns, without talking about damage to the muscles or nerves that move the eye.

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yoey · 22/07/2011 21:15

Oh wow. Thank you for the info DBennett.

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DBennett · 23/07/2011 08:45

No bother.

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EustaciaVye · 25/07/2011 17:39

OP. My DD1 has a divergent squint when she looks long distances. She neded glasses at 3.5. She had them for 18 months and was then discharged from the eye unit as her brain was self-correcting.

We have been warned that it may re-appear as a teenager and we need to get her eyes checked annually but I wanted to let you know that there can be a happy outcome.

DD2, on the other hand has a divergent squint close-up, and her good eye is noew deteriorating so they're stopping patching....but that's another story....

Hope all goes well at her appointment.

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yoey · 04/08/2011 14:52

Thank you Eustacia... sorry I didn't reply sooner, am trying to wean myself off being permanently attached to mumsnet!