FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Children with amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, who receive three to six hours of daily eye occlusion have similar visual improvement as those who receive six to 12 hours per day, according to a report published online Sept. 13 in BMJ.
Catherine E. Stewart, of City University London in the United Kingdom, and colleagues randomized 97 children with amblyopia, aged 3 to 8 years, to receive either six or 12 hours of daily eye patching. An occlusion dose monitor was used to objectively record time of occlusion.
There was no significant difference in visual improvement in the six-hour occlusion group compared to the 12-hour occlusion group. However, adherence with prescribed regimens was suboptimal and the mean dose rates between the two groups did not differ significantly. When data was analyzed based on actual occlusion dose received, visual outcome was similar in children receiving three to six hours occlusion per day or more than six hours per day, but significantly better than those who received less than three hours per day.
"We observed a plateau of improvement in outcome at about four hours a day. Prescriptions of occlusion should take this into account, minimizing the amounts necessary for the best expected outcome," the authors conclude.
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