Original Paper · Travail original · Originalarbeit

Occlusion Therapy for the Treatment of Amblyopia: Letting the Parents Decide
Ajay Tripathi^a, Niall P. O'Donnell^a, Roger Holden^c, Lesley Kaye^b, Stephen B. Kaye<sup>d

a</sup>Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, City Hospital, Birmingham,
^bSouthport Eye Unit, Southport,
^cDepartment of Ophthalmology, Derby Royal Infirmary, Derby, and
^dDepartment of Ophthalmology, Royal Liverpool Children Hospital, Liverpool, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Ophthalmologica 2002;216:426-429 (DOI: 10.1159/000067541)

  Key Words

• Amblyopia
• Strabismus
• Occlusion
• Compliance
• Acceptance

  Abstract

Background: Compliance with prescribed occlusion therapy is a significant problem in the treatment of amblyopia. Parental preference for a particular type of occlusion treatment has not been previously addressed. Unless parental views are taken into account when planning therapy, compliance may be poor and treatment may fail. Subjects and Methods: Parents of children with strabismic and/or anisometropic amblyopia who were due to start or had already had occlusion treatment were included in this study. Group A comprised parents of children who had no previous experience of occlusion, and group B comprised parents of children who had previous experience of occlusion therapy. Parental preferences regarding occlusion therapy were investigated by way of a questionnaire, in which they were asked whether they would prefer part-day/full-week occlusion or all-day/part-week occlusion so that the total number of hours of occlusion per week was the same. Results: One hundred parents completed the questionnaire, 47 from group A and 53 from group B. A significant number of parents in group A (95.3%) who had no previous experience with occlusion preferred part-day/full-week occlusion (p < 0.001), whereas there was no such preference among parents who had experience with occlusion, that is only 54.3% of parents in group B showed a preference for part-day/full-week occlusion (p = 0.1). The reasons given by the parents for their preferences varied but were in keeping with their lifestyles so that the type of occlusion regimen chosen by the parents was in accordance with the reasons given for their choice. Conclusion: Parental preferences should be considered when occlusion therapy is planned if compliance is to be improved. For maintenance occlusion, it would be reasonable to prescribe the number of hours of occlusion required per week and allow parents the responsibility to implement the pattern of occlusion according to their circumstances - the implied restriction ensuring that the number of hours of occlusion per week is met. Although parents appeared to have preconceived ideas before the commencement of treatment, their preferences changed once treatment had begun.

Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Ajay Tripathi
24 Weymoor Road
Birmingham B17 ORY (UK)
Tel. +44 121 4264213, Fax +44 7092 285960, E-Mail ajtrip@hotmail.com

  Article Information

Received: Received: August 3, 2001
Accepted after revision: February 22, 2002
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 12