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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

School Nurse says ds has a squint

14 replies

elliedragon · 11/01/2006 16:09

My ds who is nearly 5, has seen the school nurse today and the report has come back saying they detected a squint. What does this mean?

OP posts:

Normsnockers · 11/01/2006 16:17

Message withdrawn

Original poster

elliedragon · 11/01/2006 16:22

I didnt really notice anything, I think that is why it is harder to handle.

I have made him an optician appointment for Monday but I know I am going to worry until then as I don't really know what it means.

OP posts:

Normsnockers · 11/01/2006 16:29

Message withdrawn

Original poster

elliedragon · 11/01/2006 16:48

Thanks for that. I have now looked at my ds2 aged 2 and I think he might have one!

OP posts:

Normsnockers · 11/01/2006 20:50

Message withdrawn

VeniVidiVickiQV · 11/01/2006 20:53

Its honestly not a big deal. I have one. Mine never corrected with patches or glasses. I had two ops to pull the muscles in which helped a fair bit. Im unusual though - most squints can be corrected without the need for an op.

It will get fixed one way or another

zaphod · 11/01/2006 20:57

My dd had a squint, which basically meant that one of her eyes was doing most of the work. As a result, she wore glasses, and a patch over the strong eye, to strengthen the weak one by making it work harder. As time went on she wore the patch less and less, and had frequent eye checks. Eventually, she no longer needed either the glasses or the patches, but has an eye test once a year, to monitor her progress, she is now 9.

Miaou · 11/01/2006 20:58

Hi ellie. My dd1 was diagnosed with a squint aged 4. She wore patches and glasses for about a year, and still needs the glasses now. Unfortunately her squint was not one that could be corrected by an operation and she no longer has any functional sight in her right eye (that means, she can see with it but her brain ignores it because it still doesn't match up with the left one - but if she lost the sight in her left eye her brain would be able to use the right one).

Squints vary so much - just because my dd's is severe it doesn't mean your ds's will be. Try not to worry too much at this stage (easier said than done I know).

Miaou · 11/01/2006 21:02

PS they do run in families ellie - I was advised to get dd2 checked out (she is fine), but ds is currently being referred as I think he has a squint in both eyes.

nooka · 11/01/2006 21:30

dh has a squint. He had a corrective operation when he was about 5, and is just about to have another one (aged 34). He thinks that his squint is noticable, but I have only ever seen it when he has either been very tired or very drunk (one eye turns in). He does also have poor eye sight, but I am not sure that the two are related, as ds has inherited the long sightedness, but not the squint. I have an astigmatism (technical term for squint) but it is purely about the way that my eyes work together (one is massively more short sighted than the other) and cannot be visibly seen - nor does it affect my (corrected) eyesight. So there is quite a variation in the impact of squints. Don't worry too much, but do make sure that your optician is good with children - our local place misdiagnosed ds.

Joanie · 13/01/2006 16:38

Just seen this thread, which is full of useful info.
DS has a squint and is slightly long-sighted. Diagnosed in Sept and are trying the glasses patches thing at the mo. Hope they work as he is only 2 3/4 and dont fancy an op.
Does anyone know about the op. Is it a local or general anastetic. Can you 'see' what is happening (yuk). Do they work?? Any info appreciated.

Kelly1978 · 13/01/2006 16:41

it's a general anasetic. I had it done, didn't work. Don't really remember much about it. Eyedrops for a while after then back to normal. Wasn't sore at all.

Joanie · 13/01/2006 16:48

Having posted, have just found athread about this under special needs, which also has a link to an older thread about the op itself if anyone wants to know, so useful. Sounds like results from op are patchy (sorry for pun!) but possibly better nowadays? It seems like the adult people posting had worse results than the yuounger ones now IFKWIM.

Jennypog · 13/01/2006 17:04

My daughter has a squint which was noticed at age 12 months. She is long sighted and wears glasses. The glasses have always corrected her squint, but she also has a lazy eye. She is 10 now and after the age of 7, it is very difficult to correct, so persevere with the patches. If you don't get the patches on, your child can go blind in one eye. The patches are vital. She wore them when she got home from school until she went to bed. You can get soft patches that fit over their glasses which are much better than the old plaster type ones.

My daughter has never had to have an operation because luckily the glasses make her eyes straight. They only operate if the glasses don't straighten their eyes and I think there are exercises that you can do with your child before they operate. In the 60s they operated on everyone and made a bit of hash of it too.

Think how lucky you are that the squint has been spotted now. It can't be a very noticeable one - my daughter's iris is stuck looking at the bridge of her nose. The eyestrain caused by trying to focus makes it go inwards. If she doesn't try to focus, she can make it straight. Very odd - she is very cross eyed without her glasses, but with them, she looks great.

Good luck!

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