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Lazy Eye
Treatment and Detection of Amblyopia
By Jenn Director Knudsen
Though patching is a very successful way to treat lazy eye, children are loathe to comply with doctors' orders, especially if they're in school. The kids risk being teased and dealing with peers who want to take off the patch. Not to mention active kids have to completely curb their busy lifestyle while wearing a patch. "While patched, he is not allowed to ride a bike, play on a playground or do anything that could be dangerous for a blind person," Williams says. That's a tall order for a first-grade boy.
But patching candidates can take heart: A study in the May 2003 Archives of Ophthalmology reports that patching kids for two hours a day seems to be as effective, if not more so, as patching them for six hours a day. "Now, children can look forward to attending school without the patch," says Dr. Paul A. Sieving, director of the NEI, in a press release following the study's publication. The NEI is one of the agencies that sponsored the study. He adds, "This will make them feel better about themselves" and, by extension, more willing to wear the patch and improve their vision.
One factor complicating Justin's situation is his age. The older a child gets, the more permanent his visual pathways become. Though debate remains on this subject, it's generally believed that after 7 years of age, one sees little to no improvement. And age 9 is considered the "outside" of treatable children, according to Dr. Neigel.