Technique Allows Earlier Diagnosis of Lazy Eye

Researchers have found a way to screen infants for lazy eye at a time when they’re too young to look at charts or read. That’s important because early diagnosis of the disorder can avert the vision loss and learning problems that often go undetected until a child reaches school age. The technique, devised by researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia, relies upon multiple images recorded on videotape. By locating the pupils and making multiple images of the eyes, the software assesses whether one or both of the child’s eyes are focused on a source of light. The condition, called amblyopia, can thus be detected in babies as young as 6 months. With amblyopia, which occurs in up to 3% of children under age 5, one eye develops more slowly than the other. Over time, the stronger eye strengthens as the weaker eye weakens. Untreated, that weak eye can suffer permanent vision loss.