WHAT IS AMBLYOPIA?
Good vision is vital to a child’s education, physical and social development, and vision screening is particularly useful in detecting amblyopia, which affects about one in every 50 Australian children (MIVISION in MINEWS, Aug 2021). Amblyopia (sometimes referred to as ‘lazy eye’) occurs if children’s eyes do not develop properly during infancy and early childhood. It typically only affects one eye, but sometimes reduced visual acuity can occur in both eyes. The brain essentially ‘shuts off’ messages from the affected eye. Early detection and prompt treatment are critical in minimising reduced vision.