Without early detection and treatment, the consequences are many - placing burdens on the child, the family, and society. These burdens are physical, emotional, and economic.

● Amblyopia may be one of the worst forms of visual impairment. Adults describe the vision as similar to the shimmering effect of hot air over a highway, or a continuous wavy motion in the environment. Objects being viewed do not remain stationary, and parts fade in and out of focus continuously. In the end, objects blend into one another and become indistinguishable.

● The risk of blindness in the good eye is substantially higher in a person with amblyopia than in the general population.

● Blind individuals endure many significant emotional and living challenges. The costs of blindness are substantial and potentially devastating - to the individual in lost opportunity and income, and to society through disability and support payments.

● Amblyopia can cause crossed eyes. Tragically, studies have proven crossed-eyed individuals are perceived as less intelligent and discriminated against academically, professionally, and socially.

● The emotional consequences of amblyopia are real:

- amblyopic children are identified as “abnormal.”

- poor vision affects interpersonal skills, including diminished self-confidence and difficulty in sustaining eye contact.

- parents experience guilt due to their own perceived “failure” to recognize the problem and seek help. Many parents blame themselves for having transmitted the problem to their children.

● Finally, consequences of poor vision of any kind include effects on schooling, physical abilities as well as eventual career limitations.