American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus

Children may need glasses for several reasons—some of which are different than for adults. Because a child’s vision system is growing and developing, especially during the first 5-6 years of life, glasses may play an important role in insuring normal vision development.

Strabismus is any misalignment of the eyes. It is estimated that 4% of the U.S. population has strabismus.

Most strabismus is the result of an abnormality of the poorly understood neuromuscular (including brain) control of eye movement. Less commonly, a problem with the actual eye muscle causes strabismus.

The goal of strabismus treatment is to improve eye alignment which allows for better work together (binocular vision). Treatment may involve eye glasses, eye exercises, prism, and/ or eye muscle surgery. Problems associated with strabismus (including amblyopia, ptosis, and cataract) are usually treated prior to eye muscle surgery.

An eye injury can occur at any time, in any place. Adequate prevention is important and could probably eliminate most eye injuries. Close to 50% of injuries occur in sports and recreational activities--more often in children and teens than any other age group.

If there is a chemical injury, immediate irrigation with water is critical. Flush the eyes and face with any available source of water for at least 10-15 minutes. Follow up immediately with a trip to the emergency room or ophthalmologist.

If a sharp object has penetrated the eye (like a fish hook), do not pull it out, but transport the person to the emergency room as soon as possible. Other blunt or sharp injuries should be examined by an ophthalmologist, since the serious nature of the injury may not be readily apparent.

An ophthalmologist can detect the need for glasses through a complete eye exam. Typically, the pupils are dilated in order to relax the focusing muscles, so that an accurate measurement can be obtained. By using a special instrument, called a retinoscope, your eye doctor can arrive at an accurate prescription. The ophthalmologist will then advise parents whether there is a need for glasses, or whether the condition can be monitored.