Patch-wearing for children's 'lazy eye' can be greatly reduced
Saturday, 15 September 2007
PARIS, Sept 14 (AFP): Children who wear a patch to correct "lazy eye" need only wear it for four hours per day, and those aged under four around three hours, rather than the six to 12 hours usually recommended by doctors, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says.
Blurred vision or crossed eyes are the typical symptoms of amblyopia, caused by a disturbance in the pathway of vision between the eyes and the brain.
Researchers at City University in London and McGill University in Montreal asked 80 children aged three to eight with amblyopia to wear a patch for either six or 12 hours a day.
The patch was fitted with sensors that were wired to a data logger, which recorded how long the patch was actually worn.
The test found that, on average, the six-hour group wore the patch for 4.2 hours a day, while the 12-hour group wore it for 6.2 hours.
However, the visual improvement between the two groups was the same.
Blurred vision or crossed eyes are the typical symptoms of amblyopia, caused by a disturbance in the pathway of vision between the eyes and the brain.
Researchers at City University in London and McGill University in Montreal asked 80 children aged three to eight with amblyopia to wear a patch for either six or 12 hours a day.
The patch was fitted with sensors that were wired to a data logger, which recorded how long the patch was actually worn.
The test found that, on average, the six-hour group wore the patch for 4.2 hours a day, while the 12-hour group wore it for 6.2 hours.
However, the visual improvement between the two groups was the same.