No Need for All-Day Patch to Treat ...(ose who patched under 3 hours a day did ...),Health

In addition, the researchers found that children under 4 years of age require significantly less patching than those over 4 years. "The findings did not vary depending on the type of amblyopia -- anisometropic, strabismic or combined," Moseley said.

"Patching is not better beyond 3 to 4 hours a day, particularly in the case of young children," Moseley said. "The findings should signal the end of the treatment strategy wherein children are prescribed lengthy patching regimens such as 'all waking hours,' which have previously found favor among many clinicians."

"This study is an eye opener," added Dr. Daniel J. Salchow, an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual science and director of pediatric ophthalmology at Yale University School of Medicine. "The paper really tells you what you get for a dose of patching," he said.

"We know how to treat amblyopia," Salchow said. One of the biggest problems in treating lazy eye is getting children and parents to use the patch for the prescribed time, he noted. "But those who keep the patch on longer improve faster," he said.

Salchow said that he usually prescribes six hours a day or less of patching. "Unless it's a very strong amblyopia, very seldom do I prescribe 12 hours," he said.

But it's up to parents to make sure their child wears the patch, Salchow said. "If a parent says 'it's so hard for me to have the child wear the patch,' often the results we see are disappointing," he said.

More information

For more on lazy eye, visit the National Eye Institute.

SOURCES: Merrick J, Moseley, Ph.D., senior lecturer, department of optometry and visual science, City University, London, U.K.; Daniel J. Salchow, M.D., assistant professor, ophthalmology
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