A 12-month-old with esotropia is at risk for which vision problem if not treated promptly?

A 12-month-old with esotropia is at risk for which vision problem if not treated promptly?

• A. Hyperopia
• B. Myopia
• C. Amblyopia
• D. Strabismus

Answer: (C)

When eye alignment is abnormal in a young child, the brain may suppress input from the misaligned eye to avoid double vision. If this misalignment persists during the early years of visual development, the neural pathways for that eye don’t form properly, leading to amblyopia. Amblyopia is a decrease in visual acuity in the affected eye that isn’t fully correctable by later refractive correction once the brain has learned to rely on the other eye. That’s why prompt treatment is essential: realigning the eyes and encouraging use of the weaker eye through glasses, patching, or other therapies helps preserve normal vision development. The other terms describe refractive errors or the misalignment itself, not the resulting neural-visual deficit that amblyopia represents.

When eye alignment is abnormal in a young child, the brain may suppress input from the misaligned eye to avoid double vision. If this misalignment persists during the early years of visual development, the neural pathways for that eye don’t form properly, leading to amblyopia. Amblyopia is a decrease in visual acuity in the affected eye that isn’t fully correctable by later refractive correction once the brain has learned to rely on the other eye. That’s why prompt treatment is essential: realigning the eyes and encouraging use of the weaker eye through glasses, patching, or other therapies helps preserve normal vision development. The other terms describe refractive errors or the misalignment itself, not the resulting neural-visual deficit that amblyopia represents.