Question
Does congenital strabismus run in the family to the next generation?
Answer
Congenital strabismus often has a familial genetic tendency, and such strabismus may occur at birth or within the first six months after birth, with a significant angle of deviation and usually accompanied by hyperopic refractive errors. Simply wearing glasses cannot correct this condition, as this congenital strabismus lacks the conditions for forming monocular vision, which poses the greatest harm to visual function. Generally speaking, strabismus present at birth may be caused by problems with the nerves controlling the eye muscles or with the muscles themselves, making conservative treatment methods ineffective. Surgery is usually required. Strabismus surgery itself carries little risk, with most risks coming from the patient needing to be under general anesthesia for the procedure. The surgery itself merely adjusts the length of the eye muscles to enhance or weaken the strength of muscles in a particular direction, thereby achieving the correction of strabismus. The surgery does not lead to a decrease in vision but can greatly help in the normal development of a child’s visual function. Because if a child has strabismus from a young age, it may lead to amblyopia due to long-term suppression of the deviated eye, affecting the development of simultaneous vision, stereoscopic vision, and fusion vision. Therefore, it is generally recommended to undergo surgery as early as possible.