My baby has to wear glasses...

annasmom

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About a month ago, we noticed that our 18 months old's eyes seemed to cross when she was focusing on something close to her (esp. when eating). I have a family history of crossed/lazy eyes and the pediatrician saw it and referred us to a pediatric opthalmologist.

Today was our visit and Madeleine has accomodative esotropia. Basically she is far-sided but can correct her vision by crossing her eyes. Luckily, we caught it before her weaker eye developed into a lazy eye, but that is still a possibility.

Anyway, we had to pick our her first pair of glasses. The doctor recommended these indestructible rubber/plastic type that have a strap that goes around her head. We opted for the light pink. They're not exactly the most fashionable things I've ever seen, but neither are crossed eyes really.

Its very upsetting for me that my little baby has an eye problem and will probably wear glasses for at least 10 of her most formative years. Anyone else have experience with anything like this?
 

bella713

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Originally Posted by AnnasMom

About a month ago, we noticed that our 18 months old's eyes seemed to cross when she was focusing on something close to her (esp. when eating). I have a family history of crossed/lazy eyes and the pediatrician saw it and referred us to a pediatric opthalmologist.

Today was our visit and Madeleine has accomodative esotropia. Basically she is far-sided but can correct her vision by crossing her eyes. Luckily, we caught it before her weaker eye developed into a lazy eye, but that is still a possibility.

Anyway, we had to pick our her first pair of glasses. The doctor recommended these indestructible rubber/plastic type that have a strap that goes around her head. We opted for the light pink. They're not exactly the most fashionable things I've ever seen, but neither are crossed eyes really.

Its very upsetting for me that my little baby has an eye problem and will probably wear glasses for at least 10 of her most formative years. Anyone else have experience with anything like this?
My niece when she was a baby looked cross eyed and I said something to my mom and she in turn said something to my brother...How are you people not noticing this??? Anyway she wears glasses did not want to keep them on but got used to them she is 5 now...Pretty soon you will be able to get her different glasses like Barbie or something !! Sorry this happened
 

satai

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Yeah, but my parents didn't catch it early enough. She will be grateful that you did, and are trying to correct it so early. I know we always want the best for our loved ones (especially for children), so you might be a little disappointed and apprehensive, but glasses are so far from the end of the world.

It might seem a little Pollyanna, but count your blessings. If you had to pick something to be wrong with your child, glasses are about as minor as it gets.
 
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annasmom

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Originally Posted by Satai

It might seem a little Pollyanna, but count your blessings. If you had to pick something to be wrong with your child, glasses are about as minor as it gets.
That is exactly what we've been telling ourselves. They have some very stylish children's glasses with the ear wraps that we will probably switch to once she gets used to wearing the rubber type and knows she needs them. I personally think that little ones in glasses are very cute (like Jonathan Lipnicki from Jerry McGuire), but I still feel guilty...it was my genes. The doctor said that he put glasses on a 16-week old preemie last week (the same kind we got). That's just crazy!
 

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I'm sure she will look cute in her new glasses!!!! And think about how much they will help her too, especially since your family cought her eye problem early! That's wonderful- hopefully she will not have to deal with any negative results that may have occured had ya'll not gotten her into the pediatric optomologist! I'm glad to hear that your little cutie is getting her eye problems addressed early. Don't fret- i'm sure she will look adorable in her glasses!
 

satai

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Originally Posted by AnnasMom

The doctor said that he put glasses on a 16-week old preemie last week (the same kind we got). That's just crazy!
I know it seems that way, but look at it from the other side. Catching something at sixteen weeks means so much less time for permanent damage to be done.
 
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annasmom

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Originally Posted by Satai

I know it seems that way, but look at it from the other side. Catching something at sixteen weeks means so much less time for permanent damage to be done.
What I thought was crazy was how technology has allowed for such early diagnostics. Madeleine doesn't speak and I know that 16 week old doesnt
, but they can still find out so much...down to the correct prescription. The doc did say that at this age its not an "exact science." What impressed me most was that instead of holding her down to put drops in to dilate her eyes, they simply sat us in a dark room with an Elmo movie and waited for her eyes to fully dilate on their own. Then, of course, we had to sit in the chair with her in a head lock and arms pinned down for him to check the refractions and things. It's a good the doctor was used to screaming kids!
 

emrldsky

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Nuh uh...might give me away!
My niece had to have glasses at around 2 years of age. She didn't wear them and her parents didn't force her to and she ended up having several surgeries to correct her lazy eye. She still wears glasses (she actually has bad vision), but her lazy eye problem has been corrected.

Good luck!!
 

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I'm sorry your baby has to wear them.But, as others have said just focus on the fact that because you paid attention to her,you caught it in time!!
 

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They used to pach the good eye to make them use the bad one glasses are better then her going around with a patch for months.
 

beccory

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Originally Posted by april31

They used to pach the good eye to make them use the bad one glasses are better then her going around with a patch for months.
And much better than what happened to me- they were supposed to patch me for a lazy eye when I was 1.5 years old but said I was too young, and a year later my mom took me in again and they said I was too old. 10 years later a doctor said I could have been patched up til I was 6! My lazy eye is my least favorite part of my appearance (not too mention the fact that it's practically blind and I have no depth perception) and it could have been fixed so easily. Be glad you found a smart doctor who can help your child.
 

tiffanyl

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I'm sorry she is going through this. My daughter just started kindergarten and she had her hearing and eye screening last week. They called me and said that her left eye was very weak and that I need to have her seen by an eye doctor. I have the appt. on Monday. They think she will need glasses and that maybe she has a lazy eye because her right eye tested ok. We'll see what happens.
 

mirinae

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My little sister had to have a patch over her good eye for the same reason. I think glasses would have been less traumatic for her, but at least she had the patch before she hit the painfully awkward teenage years.

My friends' baby daughter wears glasses to correct a lazy eye, and she looks absolutely adorable in them. Of course she fights to take them off all the time, but when they're on, they look really cute. (Granted, she'd be priceless with or without the glasses, but there's just something about her tiny face and the teensy-tiny glasses that makes my uterus do a little flip-flop
I, ummm, kinda really want a baby. Can you tell?
).
 
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annasmom

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If her left eye develops into a lazy eye, she will have to be patched or use drops that blur vision in her good eye. The doctor said they use the drops mostly these days--less of a social stigma than a patch. My mother and sister both have had the far-sided, crossed, lazy eyes, so she comes by it naturally. My mom had 3 eye surgeries before she was 4 and my sister was patched a few hours a day until she went to kindergarten. Sometimes you can catch mom's eyes wandering still, but my sister doesn't even wear glasses anymore and you can't she ever had a problem and she sees just fine.

Catching it early is key from what I've been reading. The doctor actually said Madeleine is a little younger than they usually see, but with the given family history we all knew what to look for. I'm really excited to get her glasses in (hopefully by the end of the week) and I'll be sure to post some pictures!
 

crystal211

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My sister's best friend's cousin (lol, did you get that?) had the same issue and had to wear glasses when she was a baby and up. It was odd because I had never seen a baby with glasses...but man she looked cute. I haven't talked to them in a while, I'm not sure how she's doing right now.

*Hugs*
 

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I got glasses in the 1st grade. She'll be fine. Glasses can get expensive but most insurance companies include glasses and contacts in their plans now.
 
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annasmom

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Picture as promised...

She got her glasses on MOnday and refused to wear them for more than 2 seconds. Tuesday, she wore them about 6 hours, only taking them off every 30-45 minutes. Today, I have not been as diligent (terrible mouth pain after dental work this morning
). So far, so good!
 
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