exotropia, strabismus, and plagiocephaly

[Guest guest]

We

often read on plagio boards how plagiocephaly and brachycephaly can

affect vision among other things. Has anyone noticed such problems in

their child? While Maysa's eye doctor doesn't seem too alarmed yet, I

can't help but think that her exotropia might in some way be linked to

her plagio/brachy history.

For those of you who don't know what exotropia is, it is a form of

strabismus where one or both eyes tend to look outward away from the

nose. Maysa does that on occasion, if she is looking away, day

dreaming, or thinking about something. Maysa is not one to look at you

in the eye if she is talking to you. She will get your attention and

once she has it will start talking to you without looking at you.

Often, when she does that, she will show signs of exotropia.

I never gave it too much thought. We all day dream, right? And I

often see people with the same look on their face (especially during

long meetings or while waiting in a waiting room...). However, her

daycare provider brought it up to my attention, so I took her to the

eye doctor for a consult.

He was able to see what I see and said that she seems to do it more

with her left eye over her right one, but that if prompted to, she

could easily refocus on one object. He let us go without any treatment

(yet) but wants to see her in another 3 or 4 months.

There seems to be some studies out there that link plagiocephaly to

strabismus. Anyone out here with a child who is showing signs of it?

One I read says that since by 6 months most of babies vision is

developed, skull malformation at that age could be a contributor to

strabismus.

Any thoughts or comments,

Leila,Maysa, 2.5 yo, DOC band Grad 5.26.09www.mymaysa.wordpress.com

[Guest guest]

Our O.D. said Clara's contralateral eye points not only slightly

inward, but downward, which makes it that much more difficult to

compensate. But she's doing okay for now. She, of course, was

treated much later than six months -- more like 16!

I didn't sit in on the exam, but I heard they used a 3-D image of a

housefly. Surprisingly, not scary to a toddler -- the test is to see

where they reach out to touch it. Clara looked like she may have

been trying to pet it, so it wasn't quite conclusive.

I bet Maysa is going to find Magic-eye very easy to do. Perhaps the

opposite effort, viewing cross-eyed stereograms, could be a treatment

modality? (I love stereograms, and am waiting anxiously for stereo

video technology to sort itself out.)

http://www.3dphoto.net/

--

Thad Launderville

town, VT

Clara age 2, STARband '10