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Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," effects an estimated 3% of children under the age of six. Amblyopia can cause severe vision problems for children, particularly if it’s not detected early. Lazy eye may actually cause blindness if not treated at a young age. Unfortunately, because amblyopia only effects one eye, parents are often unaware of the problem until it’s too late. For this reason, comprehensive vision evaluations are important for infants and preschool children, especially those conducted with cycoplegic drops.

Lazy eye may be caused by anything that disrupts a child’s vision during the first six years of life (called "the critical period"). For example, either the constant turn of one eye (strabismus), or the turning in of both eyes (crossed eyes), or the turning out of both eyes away from the nose (exotropia) can cause amblyopia. Less obvious causes include the blurring of an eye due to a drooping lid or other trauma, as well as refractive error, when a child needs glasses but no one realizes it. While "lazy eye" is often considered an apparent and obvious problem, it can be quite difficult to detect in a child due the various subtle causes.

Interestingly, the problems related to amblyopia are not actually in the eye, but in the brain. In persons with amblyopia, the brain fails to receive adequate messages from the "lazy eye" and it is not stimulated properly. The brain doesn’t actually acknowledge the messages being sent from the eye. For this reason, an amblyopes often suffer from specific vision problems, such as trouble with depth perception or motion. When trying to read, an individual with amblyopia will often see double or blurred print.

Amblyopia cannot be corrected simply by glasses or contact lenses. However, when detected early, a number of simple steps can be taken to cure the child. Vision therapy, eye glasses, eye drops and even eye patching can be used to correct the vision problem. Detection and correction before the age of two is generally best, but doctors have recently shown that adult amblyopia is also treatable.