01 Sep Have you noticed that your baby has a squint?
An eye squint, also known as strabismus, is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned and point in different directions. This misalignment can occur due to various reasons, including problems with the muscles controlling eye movement, issues with the nerves that control eye movement, or problems with the brain’s control of the eye muscles.
The visual pathways in the brain develop during early childhood, particularly in the first few years of life. When a baby has an eye squint, it can have several effects on the visual pathways and the brain’s development:
When the eyes are misaligned, they send different visual information to the brain. This can result in double vision, where the brain receives conflicting input from the two eyes. In order to avoid this confusion, the brain may suppress or ignore the input from one of the eyes. This phenomenon is known as “suppression.” The brain learns to favour the input from the better-aligned eye and effectively ignores the input from the misaligned eye.
If the brain consistently suppresses the input from one eye due to a squint, that eye may not develop normal visual acuity. This condition is called amblyopia or lazy eye.️ If one eye’s input is suppressed, the corresponding brain visual cortex’s development may be impaired, leading to reduced vision in that eye.
When a baby has an eye squint, the brain’s ability to develop normal binocular vision can be compromised. The misalignment of the eyes disrupts the usual coordinated movements required for binocular vision development.
When one eye is suppressed due to a squint, the development of the visual cortex and associated brain regions can be affected. This may lead to difficulties in various visual tasks, such as depth perception, tracking moving objects, and recognising complex visual patterns.
Early intervention is crucial in cases of eye squint to prevent long-term visual impairment and developmental issues. If you are concerned about your baby’s eye squint, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio today!