Eye Conditions in Infants and Children: Amblyopia and Strabismus.

Amblyopia is a developmental disorder of the central nervous system. It occurs in infancy or early childhood when the visual system is susceptible to issues that interrupt development. In the United States, up to 2% of infants and children ages 6 to 71 months have amblyopia. Risk factors for amblyopia include hyperopia, astigmatism, and myopia. Risk factors are more common in children who are premature or small for gestational age. Management of amblyopia in children includes optical correction of refractive errors, occlusion therapy (patching), pharmacotherapy, and surgery. Strabismus occurs when one eye can focus on an object or a point but the other eye turns inward toward the nose (esotropia), upward (hypertropia), downward (hypotropia), or outward toward the temple (exotropia). The patient may report diplopia or vision loss and may present with compensating posture such as a head tilt. Nonsurgical (ie, eyeglasses, prisms, onabotulinumtoxinA) and surgical management options are available to manage strabismus. Written permission from the American Academy of Family Physicians is required for reproduction of this material in whole or in part in any form or medium.