Experts recommend an eye exam at six months to determine if the child’s light reflex is working. They also recommend an eye exam with an eye doctor at about one year to check on the development of the child’s visual systems. As your child grows older, other eye conditions may develop. You must be keen on observing their behavior, especially when they are engaged visually.

One condition that may develop as your child ages is lazy eye or amblyopia. It is a neurodevelopmental visual condition that affects one eye. It will often develop before your child turns eight. It is usually the inability of one eye to perform as well as the other. It causes blurry vision in the affected eye.

How Common Is Amblyopia?

Optometrists and researchers regard lazy eye as America's most prevalent neurodevelopmental visual condition. About three percent of the population have a lazy eye. As mentioned earlier, it usually develops in early childhood, but in some cases, it develops later in adulthood. 

One of the most common and puzzling aspects of lazy eye is that it does not respond to eyewear. Specifically, your vision will not improve if you have blurry vision in one eye due to lazy eye. This is because it is not just a visual impairment; it is more complex.

What Causes Lazy Eye?

The complexity of this condition rests in how the neuro connections between the eye and the brain are impacted. The brain and the eyes work harmoniously, sending signals and receiving them. The brain receives visual information and sends signals that enable clear vision. It is much like a mutual relationship between two friends.

With a lazy eye, the relationship is one-sided because of poor communication. The visual pathways between the brain and the affected eye are not functioning correctly, leading to poor performance. 

As lazy eye usually affects children, researchers have found that the critical period is between birth and six years. During this time, the nerves and visual pathways develop quickly. If anything interferes with this rapid growth, it can cause a lazy eye.

Risk Factors for Amblyopia

Some risk factors for developing the condition are:

• Family history of the condition.
• Premature birth.
• Developmental delays.
• Small birth weight.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Lazy Eye?

As mentioned earlier, eye exams while your child is growing are very important. It is even more critical if your child falls into any of the risk factors listed above. The only way to definitively diagnose lazy eye is through specific tests. The most common are visual acuity and visual skills tests.

Visual Acuity Test

The visual acuity test focuses on the ability of the eyes to see clearly. It is one of the oldest tests in optometry, effective in determining if there are any visual issues. During this test, the eye doctor focuses on each eye individually. If they notice a big difference in visual acuity, it may be a sign of lazy eye.

Visual Skills

Visual skills tests involve several tests that measure different aspects of vision. They may include following an object as it moves through the air and focusing on objects close to your face and farther. The eye doctor will also focus on each eye's ability to perform these activities.

For more about how optometrists diagnose a lazy eye, visit Vision Concept at our office in Houston, Texas. Call (281) 688-6400 to book an appointment today.