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Children's health

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Original poster

Anyone had a squint in both eyes?

24 replies

HalyardHitch · 19/11/2019 14:46

Doctors seem to be saying he has poor vision in his left eye. Both eyes roll around pretty badly.

I just feel lost and confused. I know it's minor but it's upsetting. Preschool say his physical development isn't great.

He's nearly 3 but still can't jump, etc.

I think the left eye is the picture that is more zoomed in as photos are a mirror image?

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ItsJustTheOneSwanActually · 19/11/2019 14:52

oh he's so cute

I had a squint in both eyes surgically corrected age 4. I've worn glasses since age 3. Had a patch to strengthen my left eye, but it's pretty rubbish to be fair.

I'm eternally grateful to my parents for having my eyes straightened.

Original poster

HalyardHitch · 19/11/2019 14:53

I guess I just dont know how poor his vision is. But he's constantly falling over. It's just another thing with his health

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dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 14:57

Dd had an intermittent alternating squint (she primarily squinted with one eye but could swap and squint with other). She got glasses at 18 months as she is long sighted and also had patching treatment as the sight in 1eye was poorer than the other. She had a squint op on 1 eye around age 4 as the squint was still obvious with her glasses on.

dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 14:58

Has he had an eye test and has a prescription?

artisanparsnips · 19/11/2019 14:58

We went through exactly the same thing - honestly DD's eye was just as far inturned and I know just how scary it is, but it's really common and it will be fine.

Are you going to the ophthalmologist? That's the first step. DD had patching to make sure she was using both eyes evenly, and this worked really quickly. Then, because she had weak muscles in both eyes and a very severe squint, she had two operations, about a year apart. Both were day surgery and were over and done with v quickly. She still wears glasses, which keeps everything on track, but you'd never know now unless she gets really tired and takes her glasses off.

It's good to get it done now, before there can be any kind of teasing, and we found that she got so used to glasses at that age that they were never a problem.

(For what it's worth, DD was just the same in terms of not being able to jump etc, and the eye people utterly pooh-poohed the idea that this muscle weakness was anything to do with her eye muscles, but I don't think anyone thinks holistically about this. We did OT with her and also- after the ops- a programme called Engaging Eyes which kept them exercised.)

DM me if you want or ask me any questions and I will answer them!

Cosmos45 · 19/11/2019 14:59

He is a cutie! I am nearly 50 so my memories from childhood a little rusty but yes I have had squint surgery more than once. A few times as a child and also when I was 36. I do remember wearing patches and glasses as a child.

My biggest gripe was gaining a squint in my late 20's - early 30's. It was probably always there but corrected when wearing glasses or contact lenses. But over time it got worse. It was very embarrassing and upsetting and when I went for eye tests etc no-one commented on it. I started to hate to be introduced to people, you could see people chasing my eyes around trying to work out where I was looking. Whilst we laugh about it even my husband said he thought I was looking at the guy behind him on our first date.. I eventually went to a laser surgery clinic, they explained that they couldn't help but I just needed a referral from my GP. I organised that and got my op done on the NHS a few months later. Was the best thing I have ever done and now (wrongly or rightly) tell everyone I meet as an adult with a squint to go and seek help, it is generally very easy to fix by adjusting muscles at the back of the eye - well I think that's about it, probably far more complex than that but it changed my adult life getting it sorted.

LillyBugg · 19/11/2019 15:01

My son has an alternating squint. He started with glasses back in May and he turned 5 in September. His ophthalmologist is hopeful the glasses will correct the squint by the time he is 8 or 9.

Original poster

HalyardHitch · 19/11/2019 15:03

Thank you all. He's been under the hospital since he was around 12 months as he was a cause for concern at his development check. They only finally observed the squint this summer despite us telling them that both eyes turn and despite having six monthly appointments

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Ellieray · 19/11/2019 15:03

My daughter had an alternating squint. She had surgery when she was 3 and it has completely corrected it. I would say they turned in about the same degree as your lb.

I was unsure if surgery was the right thing to do at such a young age and it was completely our choice as it was just for cosmetic reasons but it was definitely the best decision.

Operation was over and done quickly and she recovered so well and didn't even bother about it.

dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 15:03

Glasses don't always correct squints so surgery may also be offered.

dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 15:04

Does he need glasses too?

TheMonaOgg · 19/11/2019 15:06

I had an inward turn in both of my eyes as a baby and had surgery at 8 and 13 months old. Now I'm 45 and my eyes have drifted outwards instead. Currently I wear glasses with strong prisms to correct this but I've been told that I may need surgery again in the future. I was - and still am - rather uncoordinated as a child!

Here's me at 6 months!

KristinaM · 19/11/2019 15:08

My child had an operation to correct the squint in both eyes. It was done as day surgery and he coped with it well.

His eyes were very bloodshot afterwards which looked awful but didn’t seem to bother him.

Original poster

HalyardHitch · 19/11/2019 15:11

He has glasses too but imo he performed really badly when they tested his left eye, even with glasses on.

He picked his pink glasses himself

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dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 15:13

Aw wee cutie. At least they are dealing with it at an early age. Does he need patching treatment?

RandomWok · 19/11/2019 15:17

Very cute! My daughter has just started to wear glasses as she developed a squint aged 3. She chose blue glasses even though she is pink mad.

Original poster

HalyardHitch · 19/11/2019 15:19

We're currently using eye drops but I think will move to patching in a few weeks. I feel bad that I'm so devastated about his poor vision in his left eye

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Myimaginarycathasfleas · 19/11/2019 15:25

My aunt (born in the '30s) had a noticeable inturning squint through her early childhood. Hers was corrected through exercises. She never need surgical intervention.

Obviously you should follow the advice of your ophthalmologist but it might be worth asking if there are any strengthening exercises you can do with him as well.

dementedpixie · 19/11/2019 15:28

His squint will partly be caused by his sight issues as his eyes try to focus. This is why glasses may help to an extent. Is he long sighted? Do you have a copy of his prescription?

artisanparsnips · 19/11/2019 17:18

The poor vision can be caused by the squint. Sometimes if one eye is very dominant the other one just can't be bothered to do anything. That's why it's really important to intervene when children are young, because their eyes can still relearn to see. If you leave it past eight or so, they could end up functionally blind in one eye. But you've got plenty of time to sort it.

Original poster

HalyardHitch · 20/11/2019 07:15

Thank you all. You've all been really reassuring. He had a couple of really nasty bumps yesterday (always has done regularly). I guess the poor vision explains it

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Original poster

HalyardHitch · 20/11/2019 07:16

@dementedpixie the optician took his prescription from me when they did his glasses. His long distance vision, I believe, is the issue

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dementedpixie · 20/11/2019 07:28

Ah right. I've always been given a copy for myself whenever our eyes get tested. I have a whole collection - let's me see how dd's sight has changed over the years (she is slightly less long sighted than she was and one eye has improved more than the other)

Cosmos45 · 20/11/2019 08:40

@artisanparsnips - I agree entirely with what you have written and believe this to be the case with me. I have one eye -10 and one eye -2. I have never really considered this but just recently a new optician said he had never seen a prescription so severe in difference in someone who had not suffered trauma to the eye or been involved in an accident of some sort. I think because one eye was so weak the other didn't bother and I have always looked out of one eye only with the other one hanging around doing nothing. When the dominant eye gets tired I can feel it switching over to the other eye. Its weird to explain but I think that's why I had squints - a typical lazy eye!

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