Background
The Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group (PEDIG) is a collaborative network dedicated to facilitating multicenter clinical research in strabismus, amblyopia, and other eye disorders that affect children. The network, which was formed in 1997, is funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI).
The mission of the NEI is to “conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.”
Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children was recently approved as a site to participate in PEDIG clinical research. All four of the pediatric ophthalmologists at Nemours will be participating in PEDIG.
What We’re Doing
At this time, we will be participating in a study regarding treatment of amblyopia (lazy eye), which is the most common cause of monocular visual impairment in children. Typical treatment for amblyopia includes correcting refractive error (glasses) and forcing use of the poorer eye with either patching or medication.
The goal of this study is to determine if increased hours of patching therapy improve vision further. The study consists of an initial period of treatment for amblyopia with proper glasses correction. If a child’s vision does not improve with glasses alone, then treatment with patching therapy two hours per day is begun. This is the typical treatment for amblyopia.
Follow-up visits will be required every six weeks. If vision fails to improve further, children will be randomly assigned to either continue two hours of patching a day, or to increase of an average of 6 hours of patching a day. Follow-up visits are required every 10 weeks until the vision stops improving.
Some of What We’ve Found
The study is currently actively enrolling patients. Thus, no results are yet available.
Learn more about this clinical trial.