Why do some children wear eye patches?

You may have already seen children wearing a cover over one of their eyes. This is called an eye patch. These are adhesive and stick directly over the eye, similar to wound dressings. You can buy them in a pharmacy.

Anne-Claude Roulier, head of orthoptics at the Jules-Gonin Ophthalmic Hospital, explains the usefulness of this medical device to correct the visual acuity of children:

Sometimes vision does not develop properly in one eye. The ophthalmological term to designate this pathology is amblyopia. This is usually the case when a child is cross-eyed or has a specific need for glasses. We thus need to force this lazy eye to work harder. We will sometimes prescribe glasses, but the usual treatment is to have the child wear a patch over the good eye. This forces the weaker eye, the so-called lazy eye, to develop vision.

The length of time the occlusive bandage should be worn each day depends on the child’s age and the poor vision of the eye. Usually a few hours a day. Regular additional examinations then make it possible to check whether the treatment needs to be prolonged, or if both eyes have reached the same stage of visual acuity. 

Can occlusion of one eye have negative effects?

To date, the patch is the best solution for children to develop binocular vision. This should be done before the age of 7-8 to allow the brain to readjust.

The only real disadvantage of this type of treatment is the risk of itching and minor irritation around the patch. This can be remedied by using dressings made from hypoallergenic materials.

These patches are always sterile, to avoid eye infections. They usually come in non-woven cotton. This helps to adapt to the shape of the face and avoid any discomfort. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the most discreet flesh-coloured to the most colourful, with illustrations designed for children.

Find out more about eye patches for children

Has your doctor prescribed an eye patch for your child? Do you have trouble convincing your child to wear it? Find out our tips for putting the eye patch on your child and helping them to understand its importance in treating vision problems.

And if you’d like to find out more about amblyopia, please visit our page on this visual condition.