Crossed/Lazy Eyes (Strabismus)

Many children are often born with their eyes deviating inwards (esotropia) or outwards (exotropia). Some of these deviations are congenital, while others are acquired during the first few years in age. Once the child exhibits a lazy eye, he/she needs to be examined in order to rule out serious eye diseases as the cause. The treatment for crossed and lazy eyes is not only to realign the eyes so that binocular vision is possible, but also to treat the underlying cause, whether it be a large refractive error (by prescription glasses), a cataract or hemorrhage, or a more serious disorder of the eye (retinoblastoma tumor, for instance). It is never too early to have a child's eyes examined, nor is it too early to fit them in glasses, if indeed needed.