ptosis

Ptosis (TOE - sis) refers to drooping of an eyelid that partially obscures the eye. It can be caused by

congenital - the most common cause of persistent ptosis
swelling of the upper lid due to trauma, a bite or sting, or an allergic reaction - which is of course temporary
damage to the nerve controlling the upper lid (rare)

Persistent ptosis in children is usually congenital, and sometimes familial. The condition can be corrected surgically by shortening the muscle that elevates the upper eyelid. This procedure is usually delayed until the child is older - in the teens, I believe - unless the drooping eyelid actually interferes with vision. That circumstance seems very rare; at any event, such a condition would be corrected at least partially in infancy for obvious reasons.

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