In This Story
New research from pediatric ophthalmology researcher Carolyn Drews-Botsch offers evidence-based guidance for caregivers navigating the often-challenging patching regimen that follows infant cataract surgery.
Published in Ophthalmology, the research shows that consistent patching in the first year after surgery—every day, and around the same time each day—can significantly improve long-term vision outcomes for infants treated for unilateral congenital cataract (UCC).
Families who followed this approach saw measurable benefits: By age 4.5, more than half of the children with consistent patching schedules achieved near-normal vision in their treated eye, compared to just 14% with less-regular patching. These gains held at age 10.5, and even after adjusting for factors such as health insurance.
Other research from Drews-Botch has found that patching children between ages 4 and 5 is not negatively associated with a child’s self-esteem or parenting stress, even among children with poor vision. Additionally, another recent paper suggests providers may consider discontinuing patching after age 4 in children with poor vision if it interferes with other aspects of the child’s life, given the low likelihood of substantial vision improvements beyond that age.
About the researcher
Carolyn Drews-Botsch, PhD, is a professor of Global and Community Health in George Mason University’s College of Public Health. She is an expert on occlusion therapy (eye patching) in children with unilateral congenital cataract and amblyopia, colloquially known as “lazy eye,” in children. Her additional research has focused on the epidemiology of pediatric conditions and the factors, particularly in the perinatal period, that contribute to their etiology. She recently received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach and research amblyopia in Ireland.