General Chat

I just took my little girl (aged three) To the docs, some of you may remember she had a ear infection and it perfarated her left eardrum...Well, her teacher told me on wed that she was having to tap Jess every time she was talking to her as it was as though she couldnt hear....I have been the same at home so i rung docs and booked her to see health visitor....I have just got back and am sooo upset, she has refered her to see an ear specialist AND told me that she has a slight 'squint' in one of her eyes and refered her to see someone for that....What does that mean, 'Squint', does it mean she'll go cross eyed??? Then i was asked if she was 'SLOW'....Well, she isnt slow, she is the most advanced child in her class and is already writing her name, and she is the youngest in her class.....I am so upset, whats wrong with her???? lou x

My eldest daughter was very deaf aged 3.She had to have gromets fitted to keep the fluid drained.They do fall out but her hearing as been perfect since.Shes 35 now.Hope yours is the same Annie

Lou luv don't be upset you've done the right thing getting it sorted whilst she's young. she may just need glasses to adjust the squint and perhaps a grommet fitted to right the problem caused by the ear infection. Spose they asked if she was slow due to problems but hey she sounds quite a bright little thing so think positive now and wait to see what specialist says. Thinking of you Dorothy

Hi Lou This hearing thing is so common with little ones they are just making sure that it is nothing more serious dont worry. Also a squint can easily be put right with a patch and some glasses for a few months. I'm sure she is the brightest little girl and a joy to be with, try not to worry too much and there is nothing wrong with her or you for that matter. Worrying is part of the job description 'mum'. Lisa xx

Hi I have had a squint for 68 years, it can be corrected by glasses or an operation, It means that with a squint you use one eye more than the other and can cause depth perception problems, ie cannot see 3 D images they appear flat, but you compensate for that. James

I have enough on at the moment without all this...No wonder my flippin hair is falling out... Please dont think im being snobby or owt like that...but...i dont want my little girl to have to walk round with a plaster over one eye..i dont want her to be the one in the playground that everyone laughs at....she is beautiful and confident and has a lovely nature and i dont want that spoilt by nasty kids and parents..She will be starting a new school in September and wont know any of the kids so it will be hard enough for her... i just cant stop crying...... LOU XXX

Come on Lou luv - dry your eyes now think positive - come on lets have a cuppa I'm sure all will be well. Dorothy xxx

As said before, it's good they have detected this while she is so young. They can then work on correcting it. I'm sure it can all be sorted out. Good luck with it all. xxx

Please try not to worry......my dau is in reception class at school and they have three children in the class with patches for squints. All the other kids are sooooooooo jealous - they all want them!! These three kids are everyones friends! The patches have pictures on them these days............. Merry

Thankyou all.. am off for that cuppa now... will compose and start the day again... Thanks.. louXXXXXXXXX

My grand daughter was 5 when she was told she had to wear glasses just for a few years. .. Her mum got her some trendy ones, and the teacher explained to the kids in her class why she had to wear them. .. She has never had any problems with other kids teasing her, and is still as popular as ever. .. Getting these small problems out of the way when they are young is much better. .. Do stay positive Jood in Oz.

LOU IS YOUR HAIR FALLING OUT OR YOU PULLING IT OUT ;0) My nephew had a patch at about 3 and my son who was the same age stuck a sticking plaster over his eye to copy him boy did he cry when i tried to remove it......Not as much as my daughter when she tried to copy me by shaving hers legs though LISA XX

Id like to add that one little girl at school has an eye patch, and its very pretty ! But its good your little girl has had it caught quickly. However your HVs approach by asking if your girl was 'SLOW' is not on. If your girl had learning difficulties then it would be in her notes by now, or at least the school would have picked up on it. I think it was a tactless question and you should discuss this with your doctor. Elaine x

two of my children had all these kind of problems, at one point we lived at ear nose and throat clinics, gromets for one, and a little op for the other and his ears syringing, and things improved , as deafness runs in my family I know how worrying it is............just keep going it will be okay............. Barbara..xx

Hi Lou, I sympathise, my little girl had a squint in both eyes, but it wasn't one that could be corrected with glasses, so a year ago she had surgery to correct it, and all seems to be well at the moment. Hearing problems do sometimes account for a child's lack of progress at school, so maybe your HV was just tactlessly trying to find out if your daughter had had the problem for a while. No use saying try not to worry/be upset, but it can be sorted, and you will stress about it more than your little girl!! Good luck S xx

Lou'I am postive your little girl is going to be ok.Children usually all want to be the same at school.My youngest daughter is 16 now and always wanted a brace on her teeth as all her friends had them.My grandson is a diabetic and has to inject.When he was in infant school the amount of children that told the teacher they felt low,i should imagine so they could have a drink and a biscuit.All will be fine. Annie x

Hi Lou, My youngest son had to have grommets to drain his ear when he was four, he is now 28 and although he still gets the odd ear infection, it's usually cleared up with antibiotics. Many years ago, doctors thought my brother had a squint and attempted to correct it by having him wear patches over his eye, and doing eye excercises. After 9 years however, they discovered it was something else. I wouldn't worry too much Lou, I expect things have changed a great deal since then, and these will be outdated methods of correction. It might be that your daughter might be expected to wear glasses for a little while, to see if that helps but, I'm no expert. Jen

Lou Of course your upset she,s your baby!! Please don,t be the ear is common, both my boys had grommets in their ears. As for the eye she may just have to wear glasses for a couple of years.. Best to get it all sorted out because she starts school, so she will beable to hear and see her lessons .

Lou when i was younger i had a 'lazy eye' it moved slower and drooped....i also used to have to turn peoples heads around when they were talking to me so i could watch their lips! My eye sorted itself out and is now fine, i dont have a prob with it...i am 20% deaf in both ears but they wont fit me a hearing aid until it gets worse, it doesnt even affect my day to day living. I know shes your baby and it is bound to upest you but please understand that she is 3 and as she grows up she wont find it too tough to live with cos its always been that way. (((((hugs))))) to you though xxxx

Your Health Visitor does sound very tactless, but I wonder if she meant was your Daughters hearing causing her to get behind with school at all - maybe she was trying to gauge how long it had been bad for? I had a lot of ear problems when I was very young - forever having earache and needing ear drops, then I had Grommits put in both ears - I can hardly remember a thing about it, but it certainly sorted my ears out and I have really good hearing now and no problems at all. I am glad I had it done. My nieces both have eye problems - their eyes flicker from side to side, it's everso slight and you really have to look closely to notice. The eldest has had it since very young and had to wear glasses, but she has grown up into a bright, confident young woman and now has a child of her own. The other one is so bright and bubbly that I don't think anything could get her down - kids are so resilient. I know you're really stressed right now, but at least you're on your way to getting your daughter sorted out and it shouldn't affect her too much - if you hadn't acted now her schooling may have started to suffer because she couldn't hear very well? She sounds like a lovely, bright little girl and I'm sure take all this in her stride. Good luck with everything Kaye x