What causes of and risk factors for strabismus (squint)?

• Strabismus may run in families, but many people with strabismus do not have relatives with this condition.

• Strabismus might be caused by abnormally high spectacle power or result from vision obscuration in one eye (e.g. childhood cataracts, droopy eyelids). 

• Occasionally, it may be due to an abnormality of the nerves supporting the eye muscles or an abnormality in the eye muscles and tissue within the eye socket. 

• Children who were born premature or individuals with certain conditions might also be at higher risks of developing strabismus.