© Freepik
July 25, 2025
Lena Sämann
Many parents ask themselves: How do I recognize a visual impairment in children, and what are the most successful treatment methods? We clarify.
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Visual impairment in children, medically referred to as amblyopia or functional visual disorder, affects about 5-7% of all preschool-aged children. The vision of one or both eyes does not fully develop, even though the eye structures themselves are healthy. The visual impairment occurs due to a disrupted development of the visual pathway between the eye and brain in the early years of life.
Amblyopia is the most common form of visual impairment in children. The brain favors the signals from one eye and suppresses those from the other, which impairs the visual development of the weaker eye.
Misalignment of the eyes where both eyes do not align parallelly. This can lead to double vision and amblyopia.
Parents should look out for the following warning signs:
Early Signs (0-2 years):
Symptoms in young children (2-6 years):
School children (from 6 years):
Family history increases the risk for visual impairments. Children with nearsighted parents have a higher risk of developing myopia themselves.
The regular child preventative exams (U1-U9) include important eyesight tests:
Special examination methods for children:
The stronger eye is patched for hours at a time to train the weaker eye. The duration of treatment depends on the child's age and the severity of the amblyopia.
Alternative to occlusion: drops dilate the pupil of the stronger eye, temporarily reducing its visual acuity.
In severe cases of strabismus, eye muscle surgery may be necessary to correct eye alignment.
With early detection and consistent treatment, the prognosis for childhood amblyopia is very good. The critical phase for visual development is between the ages of 6 and 8. After this period, improvements are significantly more difficult to achieve.
Success factors:
A visit to the ophthalmologist is urgently needed if:
Vision impairment in children is a common but treatable issue. Early detection by observant parents and regular preventive check-ups are key to successful treatment. With modern therapeutic methods, most vision disorders in children can be successfully corrected, allowing for normal visual development.
If there is a suspicion of vision problems, parents should not hesitate and promptly consult an ophthalmologist visit. The sooner the treatment begins, the better the chances of a complete recovery of vision.
