What is Nystagmus?
Nystagmus is
eye movement that occurs in infancy causing reduced or limited vision. Nystagmus
can be caused by quick eye movement or disorientation, something your
congesting, or just spontaneous eye movements.
Pathologic nystagmus
A pathologic
nystagmus is going from the healthy or normal condition to something serious.
“Pathological
nystagmus is the result of damage to one or more components of the vestibular
system, including the semicircular canals, otolith organs, and the vestibulocerebellum.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nystagmus
Pathologic
Nystagmus is not always noticeable so parents need to look out for that.
Early-onset nystagmus
Early-onset nystagmus occurs more frequently than
pathological nystagmus. It can cause other disorders (such as micro-ophthalmic
anomalies or Down Syndrome). Early-onset nystagmus itself is usually mild and
non-progressive.
“The affected persons are not normally aware of their
spontaneous eye movements, but vision can be impaired depending on the severity
of the movements."
Spontaneous nystagmus in infants
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Spontaneous nystagmus in infants is rarely present at the
time of birth. It usually appears some time during the first six months.
Nystagmus occurring within the first month of life can be divided into 3 types:
1. Sensory Defect Nystagmus – In these patients there is an
abnormality of vision.
2. Congenital Idiopathic Nystagmus or Motor Nystagmus –
These patients have no visual or neurological impairment on clinical
examination.
3. Neurological
Nystagmus – Where abnormal neurological signs are present indicating cerebral
dysfunction.
“Infants
and children presenting with nystagmus require a full history and clinical
examination including family history. Added electro-physiological investigation
and eye movement recordings may assist in the delineation of the form of nystagmus
which is present.” www.eyedr4kids.com/
Finding a Doctor
Dealing with Nystagmus in an infant can mean spending a lot
of time with doctors. Finding the right doctor can be difficult and costly. You
may even be visiting 2 or 3 doctors at a time so its important to find ones
that know what they are doing.
“You will be
taking your child to their eye doctor a lot in the next few years. You’ll
probably be there at least every 6 months and quite possibly more often than
that. Because of this, it is vital to find a doctor that you trust and who
works well with your child. While many of us are very happy with the first
doctor we visit, many have gone to 2, 3 or even 4 doctors to find one who will
work for them.” littlefoureyes.com › babies with
glasses
Keeping Them on
It can be difficult to get an infant to wear glasses.
Getting them to stay on can be a challenge. I have seen rubber straps or extra
curled ear pieces as part of the glasses to keep them on, but here are other
ways.
“While there are a lot of strategies to get your child to
leave their glasses on, the key seems to be to stay calm and positive (which is
easier said than done) and consistent about keeping them on (ok, this is also easier
said than done). When your child takes them off, put them back on with a smile,
but don’t make a big deal about it. If they are really fighting or upset, set
the glasses to the side for a few minutes until your child calms down and try
again. You’ll also want to have activities on hand when you put those glasses
on. Boredom and glasses do not mix!” littlefoureyes.com › babies with
glasses
Signs of problems
Even though visits
with the pediatrician are valuable, as a parent, you know your child best and
are therefore able to detect signs of vision problems at home. According to Dr
Morse, signs to look for include:
- Squinting
- Crossing the eyes
- Excessive tearing
- An abnormal red reflex in photos of the child
If your child exhibits
any of these symptoms, make an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist.
"However, not all vision problems show signs," cautions Dr Morse,
"which is why vision screening within the medical home of the primary care
provider is the best way to detect early vision problems." www.sheknows.com/.../How-can-you-tell-if-your-child-needs-glasses
Judgment
It is difficult to know your child has to wear
glasses and judgment can be an issue. Every mom wants a healthy child, so it
can be embarrassing for a mother to have to put glasses on their infant. “There has also been some research that found that most
school-age kids don’t believe that glasses make other kids less attractive or
less athletic, only that they’re likely to think kids with glasses are more
honest (read the post about that study). Of course this doesn’t mean your
child will immune from being teased about their glasses, but it sounds as
though the unattractive, unathletic, nerd stereotype is perhaps fading.”
www.sheknows.com/.../How-can-you-tell-if-your-child-needs-glasses
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