Question 1

how does a child develop amblyopia?

Accepted Answer

Poor image in 1 eye: Amblyopia occurs when the child's brain has a choice to pay attention to one eye or the other.  If the image from one eye is less clear, points the wrong way, or has some defect making the image less sharp like a unilateral cataract, the brain will learn to ignore this and the vision centrally drops.  This is termed amblyopia and is the reason some kids get a patch to force vision in the "bad" eye.

Question 2

if i had amblyopia as a child can i pass it on to my children?

Accepted Answer

NO: Amblyopia results when squinting or strabismus is not corrected. It can not be passed to your children

Question 3

my husband has amblyopia, as do several members of his family.  at what point should we consider having our child screened?

Accepted Answer

As a baby: Your pediatrician should be looking at your child's eyes at all the regular check ups visits.  Each time s/he will make sure the pupils are reacting properly, the eyes move as they should, and they are aligned correctly.

Question 4

my child is seeing an optometrist. he has refractive amblyopia. do i have to see an ophthalmologist for this?

Accepted Answer

Amblyopia: Yes,  with regular  follow up visits good   luck

Question 5

child (7), no history of health issues except seemingly sudden amblyopia, says he feels "fuzzy, like dreaming, dizzy" - does this warrant an er visit ?

Accepted Answer

Yes: You are describing a sudden  and a new onset of neurologic symptoms, if you are unable to reach his doctor after hours then you will need access to medical care urgently. Take care,

Question 6

what could cause sudden onset amblyopia in a child? 7 years old, just last year had perfect vision now -3.75 in one eye. normal? see neurologist?

Accepted Answer

Ped. ophthalmologist: If you are certain that this eye saw 20/20 without correction a year ago then this might be cause for alarm. More likely is the possibility that vision measured in a pediatrician's office might have missed the child squinting or somehow using the other eye during the exam. Many things are possible including cataract, diabetes, progressive myopia, etc. See a pediatric ophthalmologist to begin with.

Question 7

can you child have lazy eye and do you use patching?

Accepted Answer

Lazy eye: If you suspect your child has a "lazy eye" he or she should see a pediatric ophthalmologist as soon as possible to help decide what treatment would be best. Patching should only be done under the care of an eyemd.

Question 8

if i had a lazy eye as a child, but my parents were fine, can i still pass it on to my own children?

Accepted Answer

It's possible: There is some inheritance of lazy eye. But, just as you had it even though your parents did not, you may or may not pass it on. Early eye exams (by age 5 or 6) will help with early detection.

Question 9

i have a lazy eye  my parents do not  have a lazy eye and neither does my partner what are the chances of our child having a lazy eye?

Accepted Answer

Genetics: Amblyopia (lazy eye) occurs when one eye is out of focus because it is more nearsighted, farsighted, or astigmatic than the other. In many cases, amblyopia may be hereditary, or passed down through the family. You may have inherited from one of your grandparents, and there is a small chance your child gets it, but a greater chance that he may not.

Question 10

i have a lazy eye which is turned my parents do not have it and neither does my boyfriend what are the chances of our child having it?

Accepted Answer

Unlikely: Would not expect an issue with strabismus in a new child, but since many causes do exist, cannot guarantee 100%.  But statistically, would be a very rare event.

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Doctor answers about:

Kid amblyopia

A member asked:

How does a child develop amblyopia?

A member asked:

If i had amblyopia as a child can i pass it on to my children?

A member asked:

My husband has amblyopia, as do several members of his family. at what point should we consider having our child screened?

A member asked:

My child is seeing an optometrist. he has refractive amblyopia. do i have to see an ophthalmologist for this?

A member asked:

Child (7), no history of health issues except seemingly sudden amblyopia, says he feels "fuzzy, like dreaming, dizzy" - does this warrant an er visit ?

A member asked:

What could cause sudden onset amblyopia in a child? 7 years old, just last year had perfect vision now -3.75 in one eye. normal? see neurologist?

A member asked:

Can you child have lazy eye and do you use patching?

A member asked:

If i had a lazy eye as a child, but my parents were fine, can i still pass it on to my own children?

A member asked:

I have a lazy eye my parents do not have a lazy eye and neither does my partner what are the chances of our child having a lazy eye?

A member asked:

I have a lazy eye which is turned my parents do not have it and neither does my boyfriend what are the chances of our child having it?

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