Eye doctor to check for squint (strabismus/misaligned eyes)
- Thread starter ojx
- Start date
aquarius_888
Active Member
Hi ojx
Did you go to the Eye Specialist Clinic at Mt E?
Did you go to the Eye Specialist Clinic at Mt E?
aquarius_888
Active Member
hi ojx yup i brought my son there too cos we suspect he has squint. Same doc...but after seeing him, he told us my son's eyes perfectly ok so after that never go back to him le.
good to hear your son's fine aquarius. must be the no nose bridge thing tat's why look like having a squint right?
i've ask my regular pd on 2 occasions to look at my son's eye but she said looks alright & may be due to the lack of nose bridge tat's why looked cross eye. but she did recommend this doc for us to get a piece of mind. so i thought go see this doc & get clearance tat my son is fine. did not expect tat he will have to wear specs....
now everywhere he go ppl will stare at him... bb with specs... haiz... the aunties will ask 'whoa so small wear specs liao ah.... how come wear specs huh.... blah blah blah...'
i've ask my regular pd on 2 occasions to look at my son's eye but she said looks alright & may be due to the lack of nose bridge tat's why looked cross eye. but she did recommend this doc for us to get a piece of mind. so i thought go see this doc & get clearance tat my son is fine. did not expect tat he will have to wear specs....
now everywhere he go ppl will stare at him... bb with specs... haiz... the aunties will ask 'whoa so small wear specs liao ah.... how come wear specs huh.... blah blah blah...'
aquarius_888
Active Member
ojx, ya ya I think so. Maybe seek second eye doc's opinion? Hope your son dun need to wear the specs.
hi hi... I am glad I found this post. I want to know exactly what do you mean by sqint eye. My daughter who is now about 18 months old seems to have converging eyeballs. Sometimes, it's obvious, sometimes, it's not. But, both eyeballs do move. It's only when I am taking photos of her, and she's looking into the camera, then it is more obvious. I've tested by moving objects in front of her from left to right, and her eyeballs move in sync with each other, just that when she is concentrating of objects right in the middle of her face, then the "converging" eyeball is more obvious. Is that considered sqint eye?
hi i will recommend you to visit an eye specialist to get ur daughter's eyes checked. It may be a real squint or it may not be. We've noticed my son's eyes to be wandering since a few months but were not sure. Each time we go to our regular PD, mind u she's a baby specialist, & she tells us he's eyes looks ok cos he's using both eyes to look. Sometimes he's eyes look ok, sometimes not. Cos sometimes baby's nose bridge is flat so sometimes it looks cross eyed. In this case it's ok & ur baby is fine.
But my PD mention that if I want to get a piece of mind, I better bring him to a eye specialist. So after a few more mths of observing, I've decided I better get it checked. Thank god I brought him to checked!!! It turned out that my baby really has a squint & tat's because he has long-sightedness of 800 degree.
We've since got another 2nd opinion & yes both docs say he needs to wear specs to correct he's vision & squint.
So firsttimemommy if u dun feel comfortable about it, pls go see an eye specialist to get a piece of mind. Cos if there really is an underlying problem, the older the baby, the more difficult to correct it.
Do u need any recommendations?
But my PD mention that if I want to get a piece of mind, I better bring him to a eye specialist. So after a few more mths of observing, I've decided I better get it checked. Thank god I brought him to checked!!! It turned out that my baby really has a squint & tat's because he has long-sightedness of 800 degree.
We've since got another 2nd opinion & yes both docs say he needs to wear specs to correct he's vision & squint.
So firsttimemommy if u dun feel comfortable about it, pls go see an eye specialist to get a piece of mind. Cos if there really is an underlying problem, the older the baby, the more difficult to correct it.
Do u need any recommendations?
Any mummies with small bbs wearing specs? How do you feel it when strangers point at ur bb & asking the WHOLE WORLD to look at ur bb with specs?? Also they will come up to you for a closer look & some stare for the longest time!!! It irritates the hell out of me tat these ppl r treating my son like a new novelty or exhibit!!! I just want to know how other mummies in similar position feel.....
ojx
i juz bot my son to KKH's eye centre for checkup bcoz his left eye is looking inwards
so doc ask us to patch his right eye for an hour a day. my boy has got long sightedness of 150 will be going for another checkup this week and i hope that he is won't be wearing glasses coz i am seriously not ready for it.
even w/o specs.. many ppl oredi tell me he got crossed eyes which made me felt so uncomfortable!
i juz bot my son to KKH's eye centre for checkup bcoz his left eye is looking inwards
so doc ask us to patch his right eye for an hour a day. my boy has got long sightedness of 150 will be going for another checkup this week and i hope that he is won't be wearing glasses coz i am seriously not ready for it.
even w/o specs.. many ppl oredi tell me he got crossed eyes which made me felt so uncomfortable!
hihi gitz.... if he really has cross eyes have to get it corrected lor. better correct young than older.
at 1st my son will pull out he's specs. but after awhile he's ok w it. the doc explain tat the specs helps him see better tat's why he's willing to wear it. w the specs he's eyes r not tat crossed. w/o specs he's eyes r totally out of alignment.
so 150 no need to wear specs?
how old is ur son now?
at 1st my son will pull out he's specs. but after awhile he's ok w it. the doc explain tat the specs helps him see better tat's why he's willing to wear it. w the specs he's eyes r not tat crossed. w/o specs he's eyes r totally out of alignment.
so 150 no need to wear specs?
how old is ur son now?
cowandchick
New Member
Hi mummies
Squints have to be corrected early in young kids before they develop into lazy eye. Because of squint, the brain will try to suppress visual stimulus from one eye, resulting in lazy eye. This is very difficult to correct after 5 years old.
So, if your PD ophthalmologist recommends that your child wears a patch or glasses, try hard to get your child to comply!
I know two PD ophthalmologists who specialises in strabismus: Dr Yvonne Ling and Dr Quah Boon Long. They both practice at KKH as well as SNEC. Dr Quah is the head of the PD Ophthalmology Clinics at KKH and SNEC.
Squints have to be corrected early in young kids before they develop into lazy eye. Because of squint, the brain will try to suppress visual stimulus from one eye, resulting in lazy eye. This is very difficult to correct after 5 years old.
So, if your PD ophthalmologist recommends that your child wears a patch or glasses, try hard to get your child to comply!
I know two PD ophthalmologists who specialises in strabismus: Dr Yvonne Ling and Dr Quah Boon Long. They both practice at KKH as well as SNEC. Dr Quah is the head of the PD Ophthalmology Clinics at KKH and SNEC.
cowandchick
New Member
Both are well-known in their fields - regarded as the 'experts' here among the ophthalmologists.So I guess you can say they're the 'best of the best'. Dr Ling is a very nice and gentle lady. I haven't really communicated with Dr Quah regarding strabismus, but from our exchange (on other eye conditions) I find him quite okay.
Anyone else had experience with these 2?
Anyone else had experience with these 2?
juz went for another review at KKH.
Doc say no need to wear specs since degree of his long sight is only 150.
but need still need to patch his eyes. and also may need an op to align his eye muscle
i saw a 4-5month old baby wearing rubber specs at KKH. i felt so sad to see such a sight that my tears juz roll down while waiting for my son to see a doc
issit sad that myopia is rising in s'pore!
Doc say no need to wear specs since degree of his long sight is only 150.
but need still need to patch his eyes. and also may need an op to align his eye muscle
i saw a 4-5month old baby wearing rubber specs at KKH. i felt so sad to see such a sight that my tears juz roll down while waiting for my son to see a doc
issit sad that myopia is rising in s'pore!
cowandchick
New Member
Infants and kids wear spectacles for a variety of reasons. Some may not be as simple as pure short-sightedness, long-sightedness or astigmatism. For those with more severe eye impairments, not wearing spectacles mean they will miss out on a lot of visual stimulation which will in turn affect their overall developments.
My fren's daughter was diagnosed with congenital bilateral cataracts at 4 months and had an operation to remove both lenses at 5 months. The girl had to wear glasses after the op!
My fren's daughter was diagnosed with congenital bilateral cataracts at 4 months and had an operation to remove both lenses at 5 months. The girl had to wear glasses after the op!
cowandchick
New Member
My girl has vision impairment, and I am also member of parents' support group for parents of kids with vision impairment. So I get to speak to many mums with kids of different eye conditions. That's how I learn.
Can't imagine the eye so small, still got so many different types of problems!
Can't imagine the eye so small, still got so many different types of problems!
cowandchick
New Member
The support group, called "Beyond vision" is mainly for parents of kids with a vision impairment that cannot be corrected, either with prescription spectacles, or sugically.
My girl has retina problem that cannot be corrected. Like the other kids in our group, she is considered 'special needs', and needs to have special instructions in school or daily living skills.
I do not hope for anyone here to have to join the group, actually. If you like more info, you can PM me. We have a forum coming up of 'coping with your child's vision impairment' sometime in October. Even if you won't really need it, it may help to know what it would be like for those who really have a vision impairment.
Your boy has squint, which can be corrected, if treated early. So please try to get him to comply. I think I did mention that untreated squint can lead to lazy eye (amblyopia), which is a lot more troublesome later. If left untreated, the child is quite 'blind' in the unused eye.
My girl has retina problem that cannot be corrected. Like the other kids in our group, she is considered 'special needs', and needs to have special instructions in school or daily living skills.
I do not hope for anyone here to have to join the group, actually. If you like more info, you can PM me. We have a forum coming up of 'coping with your child's vision impairment' sometime in October. Even if you won't really need it, it may help to know what it would be like for those who really have a vision impairment.
Your boy has squint, which can be corrected, if treated early. So please try to get him to comply. I think I did mention that untreated squint can lead to lazy eye (amblyopia), which is a lot more troublesome later. If left untreated, the child is quite 'blind' in the unused eye.
hi cowandchick, i think my son can see alright as doc mentioned he's using both eyes, just that both are not align.
just brought him for checkup on wed, after wearing specs, he's squint is still there but not so obvious though. doc suggest if we want to do surgery to pull out one of the eye. but there's no guarantee that he will straighten it. it may be align outwards instead. but if not corrected, doc mention he may not develop 3D vision. do u know if it is impt to have 3D vision? not very comfortable w him doing surgery at such a young age as well.... & we only have 1 mth to decide to do or not to do
just brought him for checkup on wed, after wearing specs, he's squint is still there but not so obvious though. doc suggest if we want to do surgery to pull out one of the eye. but there's no guarantee that he will straighten it. it may be align outwards instead. but if not corrected, doc mention he may not develop 3D vision. do u know if it is impt to have 3D vision? not very comfortable w him doing surgery at such a young age as well.... & we only have 1 mth to decide to do or not to do
cowandchick
New Member
3D is important for depth perception, eg. walking down stairs, gauging the speed of on-coming traffic when crossing roads or driving.
It's true that surgery is NOT a 100% 'cure' for strabismus, and like your doc says, if the muscle is overstretched in the surgery, the eye might move out in opposite direction instead.
At this point in time, you may want to get second opinion. Afterall, surgery is a major thing, especially at such a young age. Also, if your boy is already using both eyes, the surgery may be just cosmetic - to look nicer. This can be done when he's much older. As long as he's using both eyes he will have 3D vision.
Check with your doc again, what is the hurry, if your son is using both eyes. If the fear is that he'll develop lazy eye, ask what are the other options - patching, or surgery later, when it becomes obvious he's only using one eye.
Hope this helps. but remember, I'm not an eye doctor! You'll still need to check with the specialists. Just some questions for you to ask them.
All the best.
It's true that surgery is NOT a 100% 'cure' for strabismus, and like your doc says, if the muscle is overstretched in the surgery, the eye might move out in opposite direction instead.
At this point in time, you may want to get second opinion. Afterall, surgery is a major thing, especially at such a young age. Also, if your boy is already using both eyes, the surgery may be just cosmetic - to look nicer. This can be done when he's much older. As long as he's using both eyes he will have 3D vision.
Check with your doc again, what is the hurry, if your son is using both eyes. If the fear is that he'll develop lazy eye, ask what are the other options - patching, or surgery later, when it becomes obvious he's only using one eye.
Hope this helps. but remember, I'm not an eye doctor! You'll still need to check with the specialists. Just some questions for you to ask them.
All the best.
My son is 2yrs old and recently an eye test at Gleneagles (Opthalmic clinic)confirmed he has shortsightedness of 500 (each eye), and squint.
i have very similar experience with OJX, we have raised our concern to 3 PDs and they all said that my son has a flat nose (false squint), should not worry. Finally when we switched to the 3rd PD (due to other reasons), she says false squint too but suggests we get a peace of mind by seeing a eye doctor, only then we realise that our fear has come true!
Till now I am feeling down, everyone in the family (grandparents espcially) unable to accept that he needs to wear such strong myopia specs at such a tender age. Some even suggest delaying the specs till next year, which i totally disagree!
The optical shop suggests I start him with low power specs instead of the required 500 per eye. I am in a dilemma. Appreciate if anyone has advice or experience to share.
i have very similar experience with OJX, we have raised our concern to 3 PDs and they all said that my son has a flat nose (false squint), should not worry. Finally when we switched to the 3rd PD (due to other reasons), she says false squint too but suggests we get a peace of mind by seeing a eye doctor, only then we realise that our fear has come true!
Till now I am feeling down, everyone in the family (grandparents espcially) unable to accept that he needs to wear such strong myopia specs at such a tender age. Some even suggest delaying the specs till next year, which i totally disagree!
The optical shop suggests I start him with low power specs instead of the required 500 per eye. I am in a dilemma. Appreciate if anyone has advice or experience to share.
Hi pika,
Is ur son's squint obvious? Did the doc say what's the effects if u dun wear specs & continue with the squint? Wat's ur hubby's view on this?
I'm sure your doc would have given u a prescription for the glasses right? U urself have to be firm and insist that the optical shop follow the prescription.
In my case, my son started at 11mths. Not all shops carry baby specs. But we called up my usual neighbourhood optical shop to enquire anyway. The old sch of thought uncle answered the phone & said so small no need to wear specs lah!!!! These ppl have not come across these cases so they r unaware & ignorant. However later on when my boy needs to change the lenses of the specs, we went back to the shop but we look for the certified optometrist instead (every shop shd have 1 according to regulations) & we had no problem with her. This gal studied optometry b4 & she's in the know and was quite helpful.
Is ur son's squint obvious? Did the doc say what's the effects if u dun wear specs & continue with the squint? Wat's ur hubby's view on this?
I'm sure your doc would have given u a prescription for the glasses right? U urself have to be firm and insist that the optical shop follow the prescription.
In my case, my son started at 11mths. Not all shops carry baby specs. But we called up my usual neighbourhood optical shop to enquire anyway. The old sch of thought uncle answered the phone & said so small no need to wear specs lah!!!! These ppl have not come across these cases so they r unaware & ignorant. However later on when my boy needs to change the lenses of the specs, we went back to the shop but we look for the certified optometrist instead (every shop shd have 1 according to regulations) & we had no problem with her. This gal studied optometry b4 & she's in the know and was quite helpful.
& oh would telling the grandparents tat 11mth also wear specs help?
but hor if he's really short-sighted he needs the aid of specs to see properly if u know wat i mean. at 500 degree, everything to him looks blur blur now. he has to strain he's eyes alot to see which causes the squint i think.
just last week at the doc, 1 mother ask me how i manage to find out my son's condition so early. for her, she only got to know of her son's long-sightedness on 1 eye aft the national eye screening at 4yrs. by that time, he's not using that eye to 'see' anymore. it's kind of like 'gave up' on using the eye. now he's doing eye patching.
hope these info helps. btw which doc u seeing? is he/she good? expensive?
but hor if he's really short-sighted he needs the aid of specs to see properly if u know wat i mean. at 500 degree, everything to him looks blur blur now. he has to strain he's eyes alot to see which causes the squint i think.
just last week at the doc, 1 mother ask me how i manage to find out my son's condition so early. for her, she only got to know of her son's long-sightedness on 1 eye aft the national eye screening at 4yrs. by that time, he's not using that eye to 'see' anymore. it's kind of like 'gave up' on using the eye. now he's doing eye patching.
hope these info helps. btw which doc u seeing? is he/she good? expensive?
Hi ojx,
His squint was very obvious at birth (one look can tell), but it became less obvious with time. ILs were not keen on the idea of sending him to eye test because hubby had squint as a kid and somehow did not develop into lazy eye. Anyway, it is very unbelievable coz I am shortsighted <200 each eye, hubby is perfect eyesight, yet our son is 500+ per eye at 2 years old!
We walked into several optical shops to enquire and most gave us the surprised look. Only my regular optical shop give me this answer," oh of coz, we had a 9mth old customer last week." The shop even commented that kids should undergo eye tests as early as possible. Sidetrack, this shop conducts eye screening for indo maids. many are sent home as they have lazy eye which is not detected earlier and left with one functioning eye during adulthood.
Son has been watching tv very close even during crawling stage, and observes his toys and books very close. All would think that it is his bad habit that has caused myopia. Both Doctor and Optician confirm it is not true; He is likely to have myopia since birth, hence he watches tv very closely.
His squint was very obvious at birth (one look can tell), but it became less obvious with time. ILs were not keen on the idea of sending him to eye test because hubby had squint as a kid and somehow did not develop into lazy eye. Anyway, it is very unbelievable coz I am shortsighted <200 each eye, hubby is perfect eyesight, yet our son is 500+ per eye at 2 years old!
We walked into several optical shops to enquire and most gave us the surprised look. Only my regular optical shop give me this answer," oh of coz, we had a 9mth old customer last week." The shop even commented that kids should undergo eye tests as early as possible. Sidetrack, this shop conducts eye screening for indo maids. many are sent home as they have lazy eye which is not detected earlier and left with one functioning eye during adulthood.
Son has been watching tv very close even during crawling stage, and observes his toys and books very close. All would think that it is his bad habit that has caused myopia. Both Doctor and Optician confirm it is not true; He is likely to have myopia since birth, hence he watches tv very closely.
we saw dr khoo boo kian at mt e. he's quite reputable in this field i think but he's very ex. 1st 2 times we went we paid $200+. subsequent visits were $150 exclude any eye drops if any.
i went kkh for 2nd opinion w the head of dept, dr quah i think. if u go direct, u pay the private rate. i think i paid $140+. if u get referral fr polyclinic, i think it's like $20 or something but u cannot choose the doctor. anyway i didn't like the system in kkh & i didn't like the way dr quah handled my baby. quite impatient i think or maybe tat day was a bad day for him. anyway he didn't seem friendly and not interested to elaborate more.
dr khoo on the other hand was previously head of nhg pediatric optha.... then he went private. if u do a search on him u would find some good comments. also personally my hubby had a collegue who saw him in he's nhg days & highly recommend him.
not tat i'm asking u to go for 2nd opinion w dr khoo though. i heard pauline cheong is not bad too. she's the other doc tat commonly pop up regarding baby eye issues too. if i hadn't gone for 2nd opinion w dr quah i may have chose pauline cheong
i went kkh for 2nd opinion w the head of dept, dr quah i think. if u go direct, u pay the private rate. i think i paid $140+. if u get referral fr polyclinic, i think it's like $20 or something but u cannot choose the doctor. anyway i didn't like the system in kkh & i didn't like the way dr quah handled my baby. quite impatient i think or maybe tat day was a bad day for him. anyway he didn't seem friendly and not interested to elaborate more.
dr khoo on the other hand was previously head of nhg pediatric optha.... then he went private. if u do a search on him u would find some good comments. also personally my hubby had a collegue who saw him in he's nhg days & highly recommend him.
not tat i'm asking u to go for 2nd opinion w dr khoo though. i heard pauline cheong is not bad too. she's the other doc tat commonly pop up regarding baby eye issues too. if i hadn't gone for 2nd opinion w dr quah i may have chose pauline cheong
cowandchick
New Member
ojx
Dr Khoo is a very good paediatric ophthalmologist. My girl saw him too, but had to switch due to speciality. She is now seeing a retina specialist instead. Yah, Dr Khoo a really good man too.
So sorry to hear of your bad experience with Dr Quah. He is supposed to be "the expert" in paediatric strabismus. Maybe he can't deal with babies! He sees a lot of older kids though.
As for wearing glasses, if your bb can't see well, then glasses is a MUST. if not, it will affect his development in all the other areas. 85% of all our learning takes place through vision. So, imagine the child's vision is affected, that will also affect his/her learning! Don't be too affected by other people's comments or remarks. You're the parent, and you know what's best for your child!
Anyway, when your kid gets older, there won't be so much fuss any more. So many kids wear glasses nowadays.
Dr Khoo is a very good paediatric ophthalmologist. My girl saw him too, but had to switch due to speciality. She is now seeing a retina specialist instead. Yah, Dr Khoo a really good man too.
So sorry to hear of your bad experience with Dr Quah. He is supposed to be "the expert" in paediatric strabismus. Maybe he can't deal with babies! He sees a lot of older kids though.
As for wearing glasses, if your bb can't see well, then glasses is a MUST. if not, it will affect his development in all the other areas. 85% of all our learning takes place through vision. So, imagine the child's vision is affected, that will also affect his/her learning! Don't be too affected by other people's comments or remarks. You're the parent, and you know what's best for your child!
Anyway, when your kid gets older, there won't be so much fuss any more. So many kids wear glasses nowadays.
Hi OJX,
We went to polyclinic to get a referral today and realised that we cannot request for Dr Pauline Cheong. The clinic suggests we proceed to see doctor-on-duty as it is cheap $20+ (direct registration: $90+) and all eye surgeons in KKH are good. Will see how the 1st appt goes, otherwise will have to register privately to see Dr Quah or Dr Cheong.
It's Lensmen at Parkway. Son's spec is around that price too. They recommend Swissflex for younger children as it is lightweight and less breakable (eventhough a friend of mine has replaced her Swissflex a few times). Was told that there is warranty for breakage - well, we will know very soon with the Destroyer.
Just started him with the specs today. As expected, not very successful. He kept yanking it off. I know it's not going to be easy
We went to polyclinic to get a referral today and realised that we cannot request for Dr Pauline Cheong. The clinic suggests we proceed to see doctor-on-duty as it is cheap $20+ (direct registration: $90+) and all eye surgeons in KKH are good. Will see how the 1st appt goes, otherwise will have to register privately to see Dr Quah or Dr Cheong.
It's Lensmen at Parkway. Son's spec is around that price too. They recommend Swissflex for younger children as it is lightweight and less breakable (eventhough a friend of mine has replaced her Swissflex a few times). Was told that there is warranty for breakage - well, we will know very soon with the Destroyer.
Just started him with the specs today. As expected, not very successful. He kept yanking it off. I know it's not going to be easy
cowandchick
New Member
Hi pika
Glad to hear you're starting your boy on his specs. It is important for his development. It does take a while for him to get used to it and accept it. Please don't give up!
Glad to hear you're starting your boy on his specs. It is important for his development. It does take a while for him to get used to it and accept it. Please don't give up!
hi all,
just an update - my boy is getting used to the specs sooner than expected. Perhaps like what the optician said, kids adapt to specs much faster than adults. From bearing with specs hardly 5 min daily, he is wearing them one hr straight and sometimes ask to wear to school or outdoors!
Straits Times Mind Your Body section has a 2-page writeup on Strabismus/ lazy-eye. Good information for those who are not sure what exactly it is. Inlaws who were initially opposed to my kid wearing glasses, are now convinced and more encouraging.
just an update - my boy is getting used to the specs sooner than expected. Perhaps like what the optician said, kids adapt to specs much faster than adults. From bearing with specs hardly 5 min daily, he is wearing them one hr straight and sometimes ask to wear to school or outdoors!
Straits Times Mind Your Body section has a 2-page writeup on Strabismus/ lazy-eye. Good information for those who are not sure what exactly it is. Inlaws who were initially opposed to my kid wearing glasses, are now convinced and more encouraging.
good to hear your boy is getting used to the specs & inlaws understand now.
my boy just had day surgery on right eye to pull the muscle out. when i carried him into the operating theatre & saw him being sedated and lying there on the op bed, my heart hurts... when i came out i teared.... my hubby say i very silly. luckily apart from the initial discomfort and crying just after he wakes, he was quite alright. Now he's right eye is still red. doc says will be red for about 2 weeks
my boy just had day surgery on right eye to pull the muscle out. when i carried him into the operating theatre & saw him being sedated and lying there on the op bed, my heart hurts... when i came out i teared.... my hubby say i very silly. luckily apart from the initial discomfort and crying just after he wakes, he was quite alright. Now he's right eye is still red. doc says will be red for about 2 weeks