During a routine 2-month checkup at the pediatric clinic, a mother expresses concern that her son looks "cross-eyed." She asks if she need to put patches over his good eye

Question

Assessment reveals full eye movement, and the child uses each eye independently. The health care provider explains that the best treatment for the infant's eye problem is:
A) A prescription for drops to put in the eyes twice/day.
B) "Pretend like you are going to poke him in the eye so that he will blink more and tighten up some muscles."
C) To buy some prescription eye glasses so that lazy eye will get stronger.
D) To prepare for some surgery to correct this problem early on to correct the eye muscle disorder.

Answer 1

Ans: D
Feedback:
The disorder may be nonaccommodative, accommodative, or a combination of the two. Infantile esotropia is the most common cause of nonaccommodative strabismus. It occurs in the first 6 months of life, with large-angle deviations, in otherwise developmentally and neurologically normal infants. Eye movements are full, and the child often uses each eye independently to alter fixation (cross-fixation). Infantile esotropia is usually treated surgically by weakening the medial rectus muscle on each eye while the infant is under general anesthesia. Recurrences are common with infantile esotropia, and multiple surgeries are often required.