Camden Eye Center

Amblyopia, otherwise known as "lazy eye", is a childhood vision disorder that afflicts one in every 20 children when the brain receives unequal or abnormal visual input from the eyes. It occurs when the optical powers of the eye are different; where one or both of the eyes are misaligned, or when a disease blocks light from being focused on the retina.

Amblyopia is the most common form of childhood monocular blindness, affecting between three to five percent of all American children. Children usually develop amblyopia before the age of eight due to poor early visual development. Infants born prematurely or with low birth weight are at a greater risk to develop amblyopia.

If untreated, amblyopia can lead to impaired academic performance, low self-esteem, and restricted social development in children, and limited occupational possibilities for adults. The loss of vision in one eye can also have serious effects in adulthood if glaucoma or other diseases later develop in the healthy eye. However, amblyopia is often treatable if address before a child reaches the age of five.

Children between the ages of six months and five years of age will be screened with the Welsh Allyn SureSight. The SureSight is a hand held Automatic Refractor which is a different technology than that used in the previously used photoscreeners. Before the development of the SureSight, autorefractors were only available to eye care practitioners. The screening is objective, easy to administer and eliminates the need for the child to respond. The Welch Allyn SureSight operates by pressing a labeled button on the unit and lining up the hand held device 14" away from the patient's eye. The instrument is lightweight, portable and can be used on everyone from infants to hard to test adults.

The Lions Clubs International Foundation, along with support from local Lions Clubs of District 16C, have provided funding to the Camden Eye Center to implement a program of free amblyopia screenings to daycare and preschool children throughout South Jersey.

For information on scheduling an Amblyopia screening, please contact the Camden Eye Center at ( 856) 365-2420.