Question
A 8-year-old girl mentions that she can’t see things in the distance clearly, and she also struggles to see the blackboard during class. She is very worried about this situation worsening. How should one deal with pediatric strabismus and amblyopia?
Answer
Strabismus requires surgical treatment. Amblyopia can be corrected with glasses and training. During the mydriasis period, it may be difficult to see things up close, but training can begin after 3 weeks. The training is based on stimulating the amblyopic eye. Daily fine motor skills training can be done, as well as amblyopia treatment device training. At home, activities like threading a needle, picking beans, reading books, and using a smartphone can be used for training. Strabismus may gradually worsen and ultimately require surgical treatment. Amblyopia increases the risk of occurrence, and surgery may be necessary once binocular vision is impaired. First, treat the amblyopia, and consider surgery when binocular vision balance is achieved. Amblyopia training, strabismus degree cannot be seen, and a thorough eye position check by an ophthalmologist is required, or a phoropter and prism test for careful examination until vision is normal.