An ophthalmologist with the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, Dr. Edward Ekaette, says a baby can be born with a squint or develop it after birth.
Ekaette said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja that squint could also occur at any age.
Squint, also known as strabismus, is a condition that arises because of an incorrect balance of the muscles that move the eye whether in childhood or as an adult.
Ekaette said: “It is also the misalignment of movements of both eyes.
“Both eyes are supposed to face same direction and do things together.
“But in squint, the togetherness is broken.”
Ekaette said when the faulty nerve, which signals to the eye muscles are out of balance, the eyes may lose control, preventing them from working together.
He said that a child could be born with it, acquire it in adulthood, or develop it between the age of two and three years.
He added: “Other causes include congenital glaucoma and eye refractive error in one eye.
“Acquired squints are sometimes caused by the eye’s inability to focus light that passes through the lens.
“This is known as a refractive error.
“It becomes a rebel and does things on its own.”
Ekaette said that cataract in one eye could be muscle weakness or muscle restriction and severe poor vision, which might be caused by many things.
He said squint surgery involved identifying the weak muscle before conducting operation to correct it.
Ekaette advised parents to seek professional advice when they identify squint in their babies as many children with squints have poor vision.
He said: “When a child appears to have a squint from the age of six weeks onward, it is important to seek professional advice quickly.”
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