Strabismus (Crossed Eyes) Symptoms

The most common signs of strabismus are:

• Eyes that don't look in the same direction at the same time. (If your child's eyes are only slightly misaligned, you may not notice.)
• Eyes that don't move together.
• Squinting or closing one eye in bright sunlight.
• Tilting or turning the head to look at an object.
• Bumping into things. (Strabismus limits depth perception.)

An older child may also complain about blurred vision, tired eyes, sensitivity to light, or double vision.

Symptoms may come and go. They may get worse when your child is tired or sick.

A newborn's eyes may be misaligned at first. But the eyes should become aligned by 3 to 4 months of age. In some cases, the eyes may simply seem to be misaligned because the child has a wide bridge of the nose that creates the appearance of crossed eyes. But if your child's eyes aren't aligned all of the time after age 4 months, take your child to the doctor for an eye exam.