Squints (Strabismus)

For children with strabismus, parents will often notice that their child’s eyes may be poorly coordinated or not aligned. In certain types of squints, the child may close one eye or tilt his/her head to compensate for the eye misalignment. Some individuals who develop strabismus in later childhood or adulthood might also experience double vision.

Many Asian children have an appearance of an in-turned eye. This is because they have a flatter nose bridge and a prominent skin fold that covers the inner aspect of their eyes. In such instances, the eyes are actually straight and merely appear closer together. This is a pseudo-squint (fake squint). No intervention is required for these cases, this in-turned eye appearance usually becomes less obvious due to changes of the face/eyelid as the child grows.

Having said that, all children who appear to have misaligned eyes should be reviewed by a doctor. Your child’s pediatrician or doctor will often be able to tell you whether your child has a true or pseudo squint and will refer him or her to an ophthalmologist for further assessment and treatment, if necessary.