Children's eyes
A turned eye in a child is treatable, and often without surgery
When one eye points somewhere else, the brain starts ignoring it. Fixing that early matters far more than how straight the eye looks in a photo.
40 sec“Many squints straighten with glasses alone.”
Paediatric eye doctor
What the doctor says
“Many squints straighten with glasses alone.”
Paediatric eye doctor · Children's eye unit
- First find out if the eye is lazy, not just crooked.
- Glasses and patching fix a large share of children.
- Ask whether a full dilated test was done before booking theatre.
The filmed clip is being recorded. The words above are the same points the doctor makes on camera.
Ask a doctor about my own scansYour child is booked for squint surgery. Want a calm second look?
Send your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and writes a plain answer in two days.
Two separate problems
- The lazy eye. The ignored eye stops developing. Glasses and patching the strong eye wake it up. This is the part that has a deadline in childhood.
- The turn itself. Straightening the eye can be done later. It does not have to be rushed.
Surgery now or steps first
Surgery is usually needed
- The turn stays large after full glasses have been worn for months
- Your child tilts their head badly to see straight
- Double vision that glasses cannot settle
- Certain turns present from the first months of life
You can usually take your time
- A full glasses prescription has not been tried yet
- The turn shrinks or disappears with glasses on
- Patching has not been done properly for long enough
- The eye only drifts when your child is tired
Ask before you agree
- Was my child's eye checked after dilating drops for the full number?
- How large is the turn in degrees, measured on two separate days?
- Is a second operation commonly needed for this type?
- Will the surgery improve sight, or only appearance? Both answers are fine to hear.
Go to an eye hospital today if
- A white or yellow reflection in the pupil in a photo
- A squint that appears suddenly in an older child
- A drooping lid covering the pupil in a baby
Not sure if you need surgery?
Send us your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and tells you the truth in two days.