A grandmother near our Lajpat Nagar centre mentioned to her daughter-in-law, visiting from Dubai with her 4-year-old, that the little girl seemed to “look sideways sometimes” when she was tired. The parents had noticed something similar but assumed it was just a habit their daughter would grow out of. It turned out to be an intermittent squint that, left unchecked, could have developed into amblyopia — what’s commonly called lazy eye. Caught at 4, it was very treatable. Caught at 8 or 9, the options narrow considerably.
This is a genuinely common scenario for NRI families visiting India with young children — a relative notices something during the visit that hasn’t come up during routine pediatrician visits abroad, simply because a squint check isn’t always part of a standard well-child visit unless something is flagged first.
Why This Is Worth Checking During a Visit Home
Squint (strabismus) and lazy eye (amblyopia) are two of the most common treatable causes of vision problems in children, and both respond far better to early treatment. The tricky part is that young children rarely complain about it themselves — a child with amblyopia in one eye often doesn’t realise their vision is different, since they’ve never known anything else, and compensates without any obvious sign beyond what an observant relative or teacher might notice.
If you’re already planning a trip to India to see grandparents, adding a paediatric eye screening to the visit is a low-effort way to catch something that’s genuinely time-sensitive to treat, without needing a separate dedicated appointment back home.
What Squint and Lazy Eye Actually Are
Squint (strabismus) is when the eyes don’t align properly — one eye may turn inward, outward, up, or down while the other looks straight ahead. It can be constant or intermittent, more noticeable when a child is tired, unwell, or focusing intently on something close up.
Lazy eye (amblyopia) develops when the brain starts favouring one eye over the other, usually because that eye isn’t providing a clear image — this can result from an untreated squint, a significant difference in prescription between the two eyes, or another vision-blocking issue like a cataract present from birth. Over time, the brain essentially “turns down” input from the weaker eye, and if this isn’t corrected during the years the visual system is still developing, the vision loss can become permanent.
Signs Worth Watching For During Your Visit
A few things worth noticing, especially since relatives who see a child less often sometimes catch things that get normalised at home: one eye turning in, out, up, or down even occasionally; a child tilting or turning their head to look at something rather than turning their eyes; squinting or closing one eye in bright light; bumping into things on one side more than the other; sitting unusually close to screens or holding books very close to the face; or one eye appearing to “wander” across several photos rather than a one-off.
None of these confirm a diagnosis on their own — plenty are completely normal at various ages — but any showing up repeatedly is worth a proper screening rather than a wait-and-see approach.
Why Age Matters So Much Here
A child’s visual system develops rapidly in the first several years of life, and the brain’s ability to “rewire” itself in response to treatment — patching the stronger eye, glasses, or in some cases surgery for the squint itself — is far greater the younger the child is. Treatment started before around age 7 or 8 generally has a much better chance of restoring full vision in the weaker eye. Treatment started later can still help, but the ceiling on how much vision can be recovered drops meaningfully with age.
This is exactly why “we’ll keep an eye on it” isn’t the safest default for a child, even if the squint seems mild or only shows up occasionally.
“Grandparents catch things parents miss, simply because they’re seeing the child with fresh eyes after months apart. I’d rather a family bring a child in based on a grandmother’s passing comment than wait for it to become obvious enough that everyone’s noticed.” — Dr. Shikha Gupta, Co-Director, iClinix
What a Screening Actually Involves
A paediatric eye screening for squint and amblyopia is straightforward and not uncomfortable for most children. It typically includes checking how well each eye sees independently, assessing how the eyes move and align together, a basic refraction test for a significant prescription difference between the eyes, and sometimes dilating drops for a clearer view of the internal eye structures. Most children tolerate the full screening in a single visit.
Making This Work Around a Short Trip
If your trip is only a week or two, a screening appointment is a light addition rather than something that needs its own dedicated day — it typically takes under an hour including waiting time. If treatment is needed, some options (like glasses or patching) can begin immediately and continue once you’re back home under a local optometrist or ophthalmologist’s guidance, with reports and prescriptions provided for continuity of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should a child have their first proper eye exam?
Most guidelines recommend a first comprehensive eye exam around age 3 to 4, even without any obvious symptoms, since squint and amblyopia are most treatable when caught early.
Can lazy eye be corrected in an older child or does it need to happen very young?
The earlier the better, but treatment can still help children up to around age 8 to 10 in many cases, with a narrower but still meaningful chance of improvement. Beyond that window, treatment options become more limited.
Is squint always visible, or can it be subtle?
It can be quite subtle, especially if it’s intermittent or only shows up when a child is tired or focusing closely on something. This is exactly why relatives sometimes notice it before parents do, since they’re observing at different moments.
Does a squint always mean the child will develop lazy eye?
Not always, but an untreated squint is one of the most common causes of amblyopia, so any squint is worth having properly assessed rather than assumed to be harmless.
Book a Paediatric Eye Screening During Your Trip
If a relative has mentioned anything about your child’s eyes, or it’s simply been a while since their last proper eye check, it’s worth adding a screening to your India visit.
For independent guidance on childhood vision screening, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus is a well-regarded resource for parents.