In the July 2008 issue of Parenting magazine, William Sears, M.D.,  author of many books on childcare and parenting, wrote an article titled “Take Charge of Your Child’s Heath: 5 Common Conditions and How You can help Catch Them.”

The number one issue that Dr. Sears says that can be overlooked by a pediatrician is strabismus, which is the wandering or crossing of an eye. While the article is too brief to be complete, I am glad that Dr. Sears makes a point that strabismus  can be missed during a routine appointment and that parents should trust what they see… typically, if a mom sees something really wrong, there is.

I’d like to add a few additional comments to the article.

First, it mentions that strabismus can be treated with glasses or surgery. This is true, but it may also be treated with vision therapy. Second, It is better to prevent a visual problem than fix one later. The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams at 6 months, 3 years, and each year during school. To help, the AOA created a program, InfantSee, that provides no-cost eye exams for infants less than 12 months old

Be Well!

InfantSee,