About

Why My Kids' Eyes exists

A strabismus or amblyopia diagnosis comes with new words, new routines, and a lot of questions. My Kids' Eyes explains the condition in plain language and makes the daily work of patching easier to keep up with — and more fun for kids.

Who built it

My Kids' Eyes was built by Amaan Ismail, a medical student, during an ophthalmology rotation — to give families a clear, friendly place to understand the diagnosis and stay on track with treatment.

How the information is made

Medical content is based on the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Amblyopia Preferred Practice Pattern and on randomized trials from the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG), rewritten in plain language. Treatment numbers on this site are typical examples from that research — your child's eye doctor sets the actual plan.

Content last reviewed October 14, 2026.

Your privacy

Tracker data is stored on your device by default. If you create an account, it's saved to your account so it syncs across devices. Reminder emails go only to the address you enter, and you can unsubscribe any time.

Not medical advice

My Kids' Eyes is an educational tool. Every child's treatment plan is different — always follow the specific patching schedule and advice given by your child's ophthalmologist or orthoptist.

Sources

The research behind what we say. Each link opens the study on PubMed.

  1. 1

    Supports: Overall approach to diagnosing and treating amblyopia

    Cruz OA, Repka MX, Hercinovic A, et al. Amblyopia Preferred Practice Pattern®. Ophthalmology. 2023;130(3):P136–P178.

    PubMed 36526450
  2. 2

    Supports: About 2 hours a day of patching for moderate amblyopia

    Repka MX, Beck RW, Holmes JM, et al.; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group A randomized trial of patching regimens for treatment of moderate amblyopia in children. Arch Ophthalmol. 2003;121(5):603–611.

    PubMed 12742836
  3. 3

    Supports: About 6 hours a day for severe amblyopia

    Holmes JM, Kraker RT, Beck RW, et al.; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group A randomized trial of prescribed patching regimens for treatment of severe amblyopia in children. Ophthalmology. 2003;110(11):2075–2087.

    PubMed 14597512
  4. 4

    Supports: Atropine eye drops as an alternative to patching

    Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group A randomized trial of atropine vs. patching for treatment of moderate amblyopia in children. Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120(3):268–278.

    PubMed 11879129
  5. 5

    Supports: Glasses alone as the first step

    Cotter SA, Edwards AR, Wallace DK, et al.; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group Treatment of anisometropic amblyopia in children with refractive correction. Ophthalmology. 2006;113(6):895–903.

    PubMed 16751032
  6. 6

    Supports: Older children (7–17) can still improve

    Scheiman MM, Hertle RW, Beck RW, et al.; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group Randomized trial of treatment of amblyopia in children aged 7 to 17 years. Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123(4):437–447.

    PubMed 15824215
  7. 7

    Supports: Some children need maintenance after treatment stops

    Holmes JM, Beck RW, Kraker RT, et al.; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group Risk of amblyopia recurrence after cessation of treatment. J AAPOS. 2004;8(5):420–428.

    PubMed 15492733