Lazy eye is often corrected... but only through the early treatment generally before the age of seven.

What is a "lazy eye"?

Amblyopia, the medical term for "lazy eye" is reduced vision in an eye that can not be corrected by glasses and which has no other organic cause (for example a scar in the eye). Many people will call an eye lazy because the lid droops or the eye wanders but these are actually distinct conditions. An amblyopic eye often appears perfectly normal, so it is often detected only through vision screening. In childhood, the connections between the eyes and the brain are just developing. The brain must learn how to put together information from the two eyes to make one picture. If the image from one eye is clear and the other blurry, or if the eyes are crossed and send two different pictures, the brain will choose to ignore the pictures being sent by one eye. When the brain consistently ignores information being sent by an eye, that eye will become weak, just as an arm, which has been in a cast, will not have equal strength to the fellow arm. Amblyopia is treatable until the age of 7 or 8 years--the age at which visual maturation is thought to be developmentally complete. Amblyopia is treated by forcing the child's brain to use the weaker eye--this can be achieved by wearing a patch over the stronger eye, or blurring the vision in the stronger eye with glasses or eye drops. The predisposing conditions also require correction such as glasses or surgery.

What causes strabismus (crossed eyes or wandering eyes)?

The answer is not really known. Probably it is a combination of genetic and environmental influences. Misalignment of the eyes may present as one eye appearing to look straight ahead and the other eye pointing inward, outward, upward, or downward. When a child's eyes cross or one eye wanders, there often is loss of depth perception because the eyes are not working together. The sooner these conditions are treated, the more likely that this depth perception can be regained. The most common age for strabismus to be present is between age 2 and 4 years, although some children are born with strabismus and in others it may not be apparent until the child is slightly older. Treatment of strabismus often requires the use of glasses, sometimes surgery, and rarely exercises. Often, amblyopia is also present which must be treated as well. Strabismus rarely corrects itself, so it is not something a child will simply outgrow.

When should my child have a complete eye examination?

Ideally, all children should have a complete, dilated, ocular examination between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Unfortunately, many insurance companies will not pay for a routine examination if there is no problem found. So many parents and pediatricians rely on the vision screenings provided by local organizations.

A vision screening is not a substitute for a complete examination and certainly, if there is any suspicion that the child is having difficulty seeing or has strabismus or amblyopia. In these cases, the child should be examined as soon as possible. Even infants can have a complete examination so no child is too young to be examined.