Anyone’s child have a squint?

[Advicefor]

I’m really struggling with what to do and I feel let down by NHS and Private. I don’t know what I should be doing to be honest. Please can someone advice:

At age 3 DS developed a squint (might have been earlier but this is when it became noticeable). Basically his right eye in particular would just move by itself and go outwards. He got glasses and was assessed by hospital for 2 years. At age 5 he was allowed to go opticians so I took him there as I felt the hospital was doing very little. They just kept monitoring him and not really helping. I did research on eye exercises but the doctor shut it down and said no I shouldn’t do anything like that. The opticians as well just kept monitoring not helping, we went private healthcare which again doesn’t feel like they are doing anything. It was covered by my husbands medical insurance but Aviva is now telling us they don’t pay for just monitoring so next time we go it will have to be paid by us and if there is to be any treatment etc. they will pay but not for monitoring.

I just feel lost as I have no idea what I should be doing. My GP is rubbish.

Has anyone’s child had a squint and did it go away by itself or was medical intervention needed?

The RNIB have a good webpage on the difference between squint and lazy eye and the treatment for both.
People with a squint like me don't necessarily have a 'weaker' eye, any sight problems are correctable with lenses and patching doesn't do anything. Its a muscle imbalance that causes it.
Patching is for amblyopia where the brain isn't processing the signal from the eye properly, so the patch makes it listen to that eye and use it.

CMOT above is correct - lots of people with squints don’t need patching.

Do NOT leave it! I had one as a child and my DM was told ‘I’d grow out of it’

Bollocks. I am in my 60s and it is getting worse, particularly when I’m tired. I really thought things had improved with treatment of this. Scandalous.

So sorry everyone I haven’t responded and you’ve all been so kind in giving me advice. We have all had a horrible virus and been in bed for past few days.

to answer a few questions: it’s actually both eyes, I see them drifting but it’s the right one that happens more. With glasses it’s less but it’s still there. He’s able to control it and no he doesn’t get double vision unless very tired. It is getting less but it must be noticeable for the kids to notice and make fun of him. I would love for him to be seen moorfields but GP said we can’t. He’s seen by Specksavers and up until last week he was seen by spire health under Aviva but our medical insurance is no longer allowing monitoring.

My daughter has a squint and a different prescription in each eye. We noticed it at age 3 as well. She hasn’t been patched or had surgery because the glasses correct her vision and she doesn’t squint with them on. She is now old enough for contact lenses which also correct the squint. Since she was three her glasses have stayed on all day. Does your son take his glasses off? Do you feel the glasses are not working? I was beyond delighted that my daughter’s squint was corrected with glasses and that she was able to avoid surgery,

@TwoLeggedGrooveMachine yes he wears glasses everyday. Sane prescription in both. That’s really good to hear your daughter did t need surgery. I do notice his squint with glasses but less so than before

My child is seen by moorfields . His squint is very severe / rare . I had to fight for anything but monitoring. Could you see them privately and pay for your son to have an op , failing that ask the nhs for surgery for the cosmetic aspect ?

Thanks ignored. How can I go about getting a private appointment? I tried calling them a few times last year but I gave up as I wasn’t getting anywhere. What do you actually ask for?

I was patched as a child and had to wear glasses for a few years.

Cosmetically my eyes are now straight but in reality I have monocular vision which means I have no depth perception as although I have good sight in both eyes, they don't work together. My brain compensates by totally supressing the images in my right eye unless I close my left..

It does mean I am terrible at sports but other than that it hasn't really had much impact on my life other than the fad of 3D movies was totally wasted on me.

Normal for them to monitor for years and see if glasses/patches strengthen the muscles. My dsd is 8 and developed a squint aged 1. She actually has surgery this Monday to correct it after years of glasses and patches because her muscles never strengthened. They did at first with glasses to the point glasses made her eyes look straight then they just became ineffective to the point you could start to see the squint even with glasses on and they said surgery was the next step. Of course she ended up on the nhs' waiting list for 3 years.