A visual impairment resulting from abnormal visual stimulation during early childhood
Amblyopia is a common cause of visual impairment in children. It occurs secondary to reduced visual stimulation, usually in one eye, during the critical years of development and interferes with cortical visual development.
Any cause of reduced visual stimulation in one eye can cause amblyopia. These include: squints, unequal refractive error, congenital cataracts.
Treatment of amblyopia must be started at an early age and the critical period is up to 8 years old. The good eye is normally patched. Amblyopia treatment is rarely successful in the second decade of life.