Amblyopia
is the most common vision problem in preschool children. It is a
decrease in
vision in one or both eyes and arises without structural damage to
the eye
or optic nerve. When amblyopia is undetected or left untreated, it results
in
permanent vision loss that may adversely affect a person throughout life.
The
incidence of amblyopia in the United States is estimated to be 3 to 5 % of
the
population. This means that as many as 9,000 Iowa children under the age of
4
years suffer from poor vision in one or both eyes. If amblyopia is detected and
treated
early in life, permanent visual loss can be prevented.
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