When a Child is Cross-Eyed...

Like this story?

When a Child is Cross-Eyed...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

filed under: health

Dannielynn is afflicted with an eye condition she can't just outgrow.

In yesterday's Celebrity Crib Notes, we told you about Dannielynn possibly needing eye surgery for stabismus, which is the medical term for being "cross-eyed." Apparently this condition affects 5% of children and should be treated as soon as possible.

According to both the American Optometric Association and American Ophthalmological Association, all children should have their first eye exam around nine months of age. However, if an extreme or constant eye turn is noticed, the baby should be examined before nine months. Children do not outgrow strabismus.

Dannielynn is reportedly wearing an eye patch, which is a common treatment for strabismus. Eye doctors often institute patching to stimulate the "lazy eye. Eyeglasses may be prescribed to eliminate the eye turn. Surgery is often a last resort for parents of children afflicted with strabismus. Various scientific studies report success rates for eye muscle surgeries ranging from 30% to 80%. In the majority of cases, multiple surgeries must be performed before good cosmetic alignment is achieved. For further information, visit www.strabismus.org.

We certainly hope Dannielynn's treatment is successful. If you have a child with strabismus, do you have any advice for Larry Birkhead? Comment below.

filed under: health

share: | Permalink |

Email | Comments (2)

2 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

My son had it, and it was corrected by wearing glasses. But he had to wear thick glasses for years and years.

- B

Posted 01/15/08 10:39 AM

I am a bit perturbed about the big deal being made out of this condition as if it were caused by Anna’s drug use and the media acting as if she will go blind. She won’t…she will be fine. How do I know? I had this condition as a child and surgery when I was in kindergarten and it was successful. No, the affected eye will never have vision as good as the other and yes, when you are overtired, sick or extremely stressed, it can be noticeable to people who know you had the condition and you can have double vision from time to time. I wore glasses and an eye patch while at home quite often even after surgery but the doc said I did not need glasses anymore after the age of 12. I never had drops and I think the need to overmedicate is the cause of many medical problems in this world. I decided to post my response here on a site for moms because I feel the media is trying to scare you and you needn’t be scared that if your child has this condition that they will go blind or something.

- Ivy

Posted 01/16/08 08:15 PM

Name:
Email:	(not displayed)
URL:
	remember me? Yes No
Comment:
	Avoid clicking “Post” more than once.