Strabismus comes from a Greek word that means "eyes looking obliquely", So strabismus means that the eyes are
misaligned
. This is a common childhood condition that usually appears after the age of 6 months. The eye muscles are simply not able to function in a coordinated manner.
You may notice that your child's eyes are not looking in the same direction, where one or both can look up, down, inwards, or outwards whether
intermittently
or all the time. In older children, you might notice that your child has a difficult time reading and might tilt his/her head to be able to properly see. The child might also complain of double vision or headaches. Most cases of strabismus are
idiopathic
, however, it can also be caused by an array of syndromes or neurological diseases. In young children, it can occur due to
refractive errors
, where strabismus occurs in one eye.
It is common for babies' eyes to occasionally cross before the age of 4-6 months but the eyes should be aligned by the age of 6 months. It is of great importance to diagnose and treat strabismus promptly to maintain normal vision and prevent any distortion in
visual perception
.