Washington, Dec 28 : More infants are being diagnosed with major eye disorders, says an expert.

Medical studies have shown that approximately 20 percent of all premature babies will develop some form of strabismus (crossed eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye) or serious refractive error (requiring glasses) by the time they are three years of age.

Infants may be fitted for contacts if they have had cataract surgery, need extremely high-strength prescription glasses, or have very different prescriptions for the two eyes, says Natalia Uribe, an optometrist, who directs the Contact Lens Programme at The Vision Centre, Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

"The brain's visual system is not fully mature until about age eight. It is critical that infants and very young children with eye problems have their sight corrected so the visual pathway develops properly. Otherwise it may not be possible for them to enjoy normal vision as an adult," adds Uribe.

Uribe said her clinic treated more than 700 young patients this year, making it one of the largest centres in the nation.

Premature infants are at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a disease affecting the blood vessels feeding the retina and for other eye problems, says a Children's Hospital release.

"Many of the children I see have a medical condition that affects only one eye. Wearing glasses with one thick lens and one clear lens will not work on very young children," said Uribe.

"A properly fitted contact lens can produce near-normal vision - the images are the same size, clear and focused, and input equally from both eyes - spurring proper brain development," says Uribe.(IANS)