Amblyopia

Symptoms

Some children with amblyopia have an eye that wanders or does not move with the other eye. This is sometimes called "lazy eye." But in many children amblyopia is hard to detect. Signs that could point to amblyopia or a condition that raises the risk for amblyopia include:

• Eyes that do not move together in the same direction.
• Eyes that do not fix on the same point.
• Crying or complaining when one eye is covered.
• Squinting or tilting the head up, down, or sideways to look at something.
• Cloudiness in the black centre of the eye (cataract).
• An upper eyelid that droops and covers most of the eye (ptosis).

Parents may not be able to tell whether a child has a vision problem. There may be no warning signs, and young children may not complain about poor vision. Most doctors recommend eye examinations for children before they start school.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: September 7, 2007
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.