Washington: Amblyopia, sometimes referred to as `lazy eye`, causes poor vision in children and if untreated within the first six to 10 years becomes permanent.
Children under three years with blocked tear ducts (nasolacrimal duct obstruction-NLDO) are at an increased risk of developing amblyopia. About six percent of them are born with this condition, the Journal of the AAPOS reports.
Study authors Noelle S. Matta and David I. Silbert of the Family Eye Group in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, report that of the 375 children studied, 22 percent had amblyopia risk factors, an eight-fold increase compared with the rate in the general population, according to a Family Eye statement.
"We recommend that all children with congenital NLDO undergo comprehensive examination, including cycloplegic refraction, and be followed carefully if risk factors are present," concluded Matta.
AAPOS stands for the American Association for Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.
IANS
