Why is My Child Cross-Eyed?

Strabismus is the official medical term for crossed eyes. This condition is more common in children than you may realize. Thankfully, it’s not like long ago when a person had to live their entire lives with crossed eyes. Many treatment options exist today, including special lenses, therapies, and surgery, depending on the case. If your child has crossed eyes in Wellington, FL, contact your optometrist for help as soon as possible.

What Causes Crossed Eyes in Children?

Children have varying degrees of muscle development and coordination. The eyes function with a synergy of muscle movement. Each eye has muscles that control eye movement. Normally, the muscles in each eye are coordinated. It’s a complex system, which is why, in some children, one eye’s muscles are more developed than others. When one muscle is weaker than the other, crossed eyes can develop.

Sometimes genetics plays a part, too. If a parent had crossed eyes, their child has a higher risk of having it. Then there are some health conditions that can play into it, like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, premature birth complications, and so on.

The Importance of Treating Crossed Eyes

Contact your optometrist in Wellington, FL, as soon as possible for crossed eyes treatment. If it’s left untreated for too long, a lazy eye can develop, where the brain ignores information from one eye, or the weaker eye muscles fail to get stronger over time.

There are many treatment options, but the first step is to bring your child in for a pediatric eye exam. A possible cause may be determined, and then a course of treatment can begin.

If your child has crossed eyes, whether it’s mild or moderate, contact us to book an appointment. The sooner treatment starts, the sooner your child’s eyes can get better.