Attentive to your baby’s development, you have noticed a tendency to squint. And if this strabismus is quite unsightly, it is not abnormal before the age of 3 or 4 months. But if it continues, it is not to be taken lightly.

At birth, the infant has poor visual capacity. He can perceive shades of light and his area of ​​sharp vision stops about eight inches around him, which only allows him to recognize his mother or father. But little by little, and as he awakens, the child progresses and acquires new visual abilities. Around 20 or 4 months, his eyesight is similar to that of an adult, and he can finally fix an object and follow it with his gaze. Then, she will allow him to recognize the faces of those close to him and to respond to them. To help him tame this sense that he is discovering, stand at a short distance from him. He will be able to create a bond with you and get to know you and recognize you. These stimuli of his visual abilities are very important for a good implementation of this sense and its development.

But if he sees blurry upon his arrival in his new environment, the child does not see simultaneously either. This means that each eye is independent and they can both move on their own and sometimes asymmetrically. This is the cause of what parents mistake for strabismus.

It is therefore quite normal to observe this kind of phenomenon in newborns (before the age of four months). Parents can therefore be reassured without any problem. For most babies, these strabisms are always episodic, and the eyes start either inward (i.e. towards the nose) or outward (towards the temples). Then, little by little, these squinting tendencies will become less frequent until they disappear completely around the age of four months.

However, it is very difficult for parents to objectively observe their child’s eyes. It is therefore important that these visual examinations are performed by the pediatrician during each monthly appointment and that in case of doubt, a medical consultation is scheduled. Seeking the advice of a professional is always the best reflex to adopt as soon as you have the slightest suspicion.

If the child over four months of age continues to squint regularly, it is important to report the problem to their pediatrician who, if necessary, will have the child examined by a specialist. If you delay getting him for a consultation, the risk is to create a permanent strabismus and to install it permanently in your child. One of his eyes then becomes “lazy” and the image of this eye is simply deleted by the brain, this is called amblyopia. The eye loses visual acuity, and the child’s ability to see in relief is impaired. Easily re-educable before 5 or 6 years, it is almost impossible to correct it afterwards, so it is better not to wait too long to consult.

There are also false alarms linked to the morphology of the face of certain babies. A fairly large nose and the presence of small folds in the inner corner of his eyes can create a sensation of squint when everything is normal. It is often these small folds of skin that unbalance the symmetry of the eye and give the impression of a squinty baby. However, everything is perfectly normal in the child and this feeling will quickly disappear.

Regarding the treatments, the possibilities are numerous: rehabilitation exercises, wearing of a mask, prisms, specific glasses or surgical operations to rebalance the muscles on each side of the eye as a last resort, each case is different. and depending on the age of the child, the medical protocol will not be the same. But the treatments are long and require a strong involvement of the child but also of his parents. With the help of the ophthalmologist and the orthoptist, the little one works on his perceptions and forces the eye muscles to rebalance their daily actions.

On the other hand, one thing is certain: the earlier the problem is detected by parents or family and quickly taken care of by a professional, the greater the child’s chances of recovery. So in case of doubt, going to the doctor is really essential.