“ Could I ask you, over the last few months I’ve noticed a turn in my daughters eye, but in recent weeks it has become more severe and she seems to keep her left eye shut to focus. Do You think I bring her to a&e or gp as I don’t want to waste anyone’s time but she is only 4 and would like to nip it in the bud”
“Lazy eye”, “squint”, “turn” are common; docs call these conditions “Amblyopia”. 2 out of 100 children have them. Some children have “Strabismus” where they have trouble aligning the eyes. These conditions need to be treated EARLY. There are also some rarer things that can cause this to happen. Into GP for an assessment and likely referral into a paediatric ophthalmology service, where your child can have an “orthoptics” assessment. If your GP seems something truly urgent, let him send you to ED with a letter, etc. Hospital docs love GP letters. It is very helpful for everyone! (Accident and Emergency Departments should be reserved, whenever possible, for emergencies or GP referrals.)
If you are concerned that your child’s eyes are misaligned in any way, touch base with your PHN or GP first. (Just to reassure new mammies: It is common, however, for newborns up until 4 months to have episodes where eyes are slightly crossed or not focusing.)
Warning signs that you should definitely book appointment with GP:
• Your child’s eyes look crossed, turn out, or don’t focus together
• Your child has a white or grayish white color in the pupil
• Your child complains of eye pain
• Your child’s eyes that are always teary/watery
• Your child has drooping eyelids
• Your child complains that his/her eyes are too sensitive to light
Many of the eye problems that my colleagues are seeing is due to excessive screen use, from ages of 6 months. For so many, many, many health reasons, let’s limit screen time!
Some expert advice? Protect your child’s eyes:
Try a “20/20/20 rule”: Your older child should look away from the screen every 20 minutes, focusing on an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. Your child should turn off the screen for at least 10 minutes every hour. Use a timer.
and the 1/2/10 rule: tablets/phones at least “1” foot from your child’s face, laptops at “2” feet, and roughly “10” feet for TVs. Use the setting to make the font twice as big as your child can comfortably read to reduce eye strain.
More about eye balls? https://www.eyedoctors.ie/…/ICO%20Vision%20Booklet_2…
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