On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 01:11:07 GMT, "concerned" wrote:

I have a question. My 6-year old son has just been diagnosed with poor
vision in his left eye and now has to wear eyeglasses (with just one
corrective lens). His left eye is also a lazy eye as a result, and his
ophthalmologist has prescribed an eye patch--to be worn for about 2 months,
9 hours a day--on the good eye to train the bad one. The doctor said it was
important to remove the patch for the few remaining hours of the day to help
the brain adjust.

My ex has seen a friend of his who's an ophthalmologist and insists that
when my son stays with him that he'll follow his friend's advice: make our
son wear the patch during all his waking hours for 6 days and on the other
eye -- the bad eye-- on the 7th day so as to avoid the good eye from getting
"lazy."

I've never heard of this and my son's ophthalmologist has advised against
it. My ex will not budge. I am very concerned. Does anyone know whether this
is common practice and whether or not it could be damaging? I'm not so
worried about the patch on the good eye being worn all day (though my son
will hate it) but the 7th-day plan sounds fishy to me.

Thanks in advance to anyone who may have heard of this.

There is no known benefit to patching the bad eye.

The advice from his father's friend which goes counter to modern
treatment of amblyopia and is risking therapeutic failure is alarming
and makes me wonder if this friend is truly an ophthalmologist himself
or perhaps an optometrist instead with less experience and/or training
in treating amblyopia.

You may want to consult with an attorney as you may need to modify
your parenting plan, with the court's assistance, if his father is
truly failing to comply with a prescribed therapeutic regimen which
noncompliance may result in permanent loss of vision.

PF