Question:
My two year old son has been diagnosed with strabismus (accomadative esotropia). He has been prescribed glasses for farsightedness. He also has possible amblyopia in his left eye. We are doing all we can to ensure he is on the right treatment course, but we are SCARED TO DEATH! Generally, what can we expect for our son and his life as far as 3D vision development, permanent vision difficulties, learning challenges because of it overall quality of life and the chance at a "normal" life?
Answer:
All good questions! The good news is that there is no need to be scared at all. Accommodative esotropia is a very common problem in children. The combination of farsightedness, crossing inward of one of the eyes, and amblyopia (reduced vision) is very typical of how the condition presents. Glasses alone will effectively treat the problem in many cases, and the child will maintain good to excellent depth perception (3D vision). Sometimes an eye patch is needed temporarily to treat the amblyopia. The condition portends no impact on learning and such children should live a "normal" life, though requiring glasses to keep their eyes straight. Accommodative esotropia resolves in many cases around the end of the first decade of life.
Answered by:
David K. Coats, MD
