When do babies eyes stop wandering

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In addition to which direction the eyes turn, doctors break down cases of strabismus even further. Common classifications include:. They do know, however, that certain kids run a higher risk of having crossed eyes than others. They include:. While your baby is under general anesthesia, the eye muscles are tightened or loosened to align the eyes. Babies whose eyes are nearly always crossed are more apt to wind up with surgery than those who only occasionally cross their eyes.

In some cases, a doctor will use adjustable sutures, which allow them to tweak eye alignment after surgery. Under anesthesia, a doctor will inject an eye muscle with Botox to weaken it. By loosening up the muscle, eyes may be able to align properly. The injections might need to be periodically repeated, but in some cases, the effects can be long lasting.

Yet, the Food and Drug Administration FDA has noted that the safety and effectiveness of botox in pediatric patients below the age of 12 have not been established. Besides lasting vision problems, babies with untreated strabismus can have delays reaching developmental milestones , such as grasping objects, walking, and standing.

Kids who are diagnosed and treated early have the best shot at having healthy vision and development. There are effective treatments available, and some of them, like glasses and patches, are simple and noninvasive. And research shows that once young children receive treatment for their crossed eyes, they can catch up to their peers in both visual and motor development. Learn about the signs, causes, and how you can treat it.

Sometimes, though, kids refuse to wear an eye patch. Then, eye drops called atropine drops might be used instead. Just as eye patching blocks the vision in the straight eye, the atropine drops temporarily blur out vision in that eye. This makes the weaker eye work harder so that eye muscles and vision get stronger.

Surgery involves loosening or tightening the muscles that cause the eye to wander. Most kids can go home the same day of surgery. Regular eye exams are the best way to detect strabismus. Early diagnosis and treatment better a child's chances of having straight eyes and developing good vision and depth perception.

But older kids and teens and even many adults with strabismus can still benefit from treatment. Also keep in mind the social aspect to strabismus.

Aligned eyes are important for a healthy self-image in adults and kids. Reviewed by: Jonathan H. Salvin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Strabismus? The eyes may turn: inward called esotropia or "cross-eyed" outward exotropia up hypertropia down hypotropia When eyes don't line up together, the straight or straighter eye becomes dominant. How Do Kids Get It? What Are the Signs of Strabismus?