What potential outcome should a nurse explain to parents if monocular strabismus is not treated early?

When monocular strabismus is not treated early, the primary concern is the development and progression of amblyopia in the weaker eye. Amblyopia, also known as "lazy eye," occurs when the brain starts to ignore the visual signals coming from one eye, leading to reduced vision in that eye even when it is physically healthy.

In cases of monocular strabismus, where one eye is misaligned, the brain may favor the straight eye and suppress the input from the strabismic eye to avoid double vision. If this condition persists without intervention, it can result in a significant decrease in visual acuity in the affected eye, resulting in permanent visual impairment if not addressed early.

The other options address concerns that are not the primary outcome related to untreated monocular strabismus. Myopia is a refractive error and not a direct consequence of strabismus. Chronic headaches can occur for various reasons but are not specifically linked to untreated strabismus. While the child may appear cross-eyed (especially if strabismus is strabismic in nature), this observation does not capture the long-term visual dysfunction that is critical to address. Therefore, the progression of amblyopia in the weak eye is the most pertinent outcome that needs