Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing 11th Edition Test Bank - Communication and Physical Assessment of the Child and Family Related

Review Wong's Essentials of Pediatric Nursing 11th Edition Test Bank - Communication and Physical Assessment of the Child and Family related questions and content

Which explains why correcting strabismus in young children is important?

  • A. Color vision may be lost.
  • B. Amblyopia, a type of blindness, may result.
  • C. Epicanthal folds may develop in the affected eye.
  • D. Corneal light reflexes may fall symmetrically within each pupil.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: By the age of 3 to 4 months, infants are able to fixate on one visual field with both eyes simultaneously. In strabismus, or cross-eye, one eye deviates from the point of fixation. If misalignment is constant, the weak eye becomes lazy, and the brain eventually suppresses the image produced from that eye. If strabismus is not detected and corrected by age 4 to 6 years, blindness from disuse, known as amblyopia, may occur. Color vision is not the only concern. Epicanthal folds are not related to amblyopia. In children with strabismus, the corneal light reflex will not be symmetric for each eye.