Experiences with squints in babies?

[YawnyOwl]

DS has a squint in one eye. He's had it for about a month or two... I'm so stressed because you're supposed to get squints treated ASAP to have the best results and I dropped the fricking ball!!! As DH keeps pointing out
DS is 8 months next week. Any experiences of how they treat baby squints these days? Hoping he doesn't need glasses... He can't even stand wearing hats!

I noticed DS squint just before his 8 month check. HV saw it instantly and said she would refer to eye clinic. We waited....and waited.... she obviously hadn’t done it as he had to be referred when we contacted them to say we hadn’t heard.
He had to wear a patch over his good eye, starting at just an hour a day but built up the time, and yes, he was given glasses.

Hi was he given glasses as a baby or when he was older?

By the time the referral had gone through and we were eventually seen he was probably just under 12 months old when his glasses were prescribed.

Thank you. Was that considered "late" to start, I keep seeing that treatment should start ASAP and I'm worried I've left it late

They certainly never mentioned it was an issue at that age and DS has a really strong prescription. It was corrected with no problem but he will always have to wear glasses.
Try not to worry, it isn’t picked up until the HV check in plenty of babies and that isn’t too late.

Is the eye turning inwards? If so, it's very likely that he'll need to wear glasses. Babies do get used to them very quickly. Some squints are only partially helped by wearing glasses, so he may need to have a little operation.
Depending on how well the vision develops with the glasses he may need a patch as well.

You haven't left it too late at all OP.

@underneaththeash thanks, it is turning inwards I think... Weirdly, I'd prefer a patch to glasses

I think I've attached the photo which made me notice it .. on the left eye? What do you think? Squinty?

Bump

Yes - called an esotropia. Some need glasses only, some need glasses and surgery and some surgery only. You can't choose a patch over glasses.

It's a bit complicated but there is a link between having a high plus prescription and not being able to keep the eyes straight. This means that the brain ignores the image out of one eye as otherwise you'd get double vision. Unfortunately, you need visual experience to develop 20/20 vision in the eye. If the brain is ignoring it - it doesn't develop properly.

So a plus prescripton for glasses can often make eyes straight - you sound very educated and I think you can google why, but if not I can explain.