When should you schedule an eye exam for your child? If you notice that one or both of their eyes is not looking straight, or is occasionally drifting outward, it’s probably a good time to see a specialist.
“Often it’s a very benign and minor condition called intermittent exotropia,” says Dr. Sepideh Rousta of University Children’s Eye Center, “‘intermittent’ meaning it only occurs once in a while; ‘exotropia’ meaning it drifts outward rather than crossing inward. This is a very common misalignment in children.”
Once the child is connected with a specialist, treatment can begin through the simple act of observation. Follow-up treatments can include patching, glasses, prescriptions, or, in severe cases, or ones that worsen over the years, eye muscle surgery.
“But regardless,” says Dr. Rousta, “this should trigger a full eye exam, because occasionally there’s a more serious internal issue to the eye, like a cataract or some type of tumor that might cause the eye to drift.”
Moral of the story: if you suspect an eye misalignment, especially if your child is younger than six, a full eye exam should be your next port of call, preferably by a pediatric ophthalmologist or optometrist with expertise and eye misalignment.
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