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Objective: To determine whether age at initiation of treatment for amblyopia influences the response among children 3 to less than 13 years of age with unilateral amblyopia who have 20/40 to 20/400 amblyopic eye visual acuity., Methods: A meta-analysis of individual subject data from 4 recently completed randomized amblyopia treatment trials was performed to evaluate the relationship between age and improvement in logMAR amblyopic eye visual acuity. Analyses were adjusted for baseline amblyopic eye visual acuity, spherical equivalent refractive error in the amblyopic eye, type of amblyopia, prior amblyopia treatment, study treatment, and protocol. Age was categorized (3 to <5 years, 5 to <7 years, and 7 to <13 years) because there was a nonlinear relationship between age and improvement in amblyopic eye visual acuity., Results: Children from 7 to less than 13 years of age were significantly less responsive to treatment than were younger age groups (children from 3 to <5 years of age or children from 5 to <7 years of age) for moderate and severe amblyopia (P < .04 for all 4 comparisons). There was no difference in treatment response between children 3 to less than 5 years of age and children 5 to less than 7 years of age for moderate amblyopia (P = .67), but there was a suggestion of greater responsiveness in children 3 to less than 5 years of age compared with children 5 to less than 7 years of age for severe amblyopia (P = .09)., Conclusions: Amblyopia is more responsive to treatment among children younger than 7 years of age. Although the average treatment response is smaller in children 7 to less than 13 years of age, some children show a marked response to treatment.

Objectives: To determine the central corneal thickness (CCT) in healthy white, African American, and Hispanic children from birth to 17 years of age and to determine whether CCT varies by age, race, or ethnicity., Design: Prospective observational multicenter study. Central corneal thickness was measured with a handheld contact pachymeter., Results: A total of 2079 children were included in the study, with ages ranging from birth to 17 years. Included were 807 whites, 494 Hispanics, and 474 African Americans, in addition to Asian, unknown race, and mixed-race individuals. African American children had thinner corneas on average than that of both white and Hispanic children (P < .001 for both) by approximately 20 μm. Thicker median CCT was observed with each successive year of age from age 1 to 11 years, with year-to-year differences steadily decreasing and reaching a plateau after age 11 at 573 μm in white and Hispanic children and 551 μm in African American children. For every 100 μm of thicker CCT measured, the intraocular pressure was 1.5 mm Hg higher on average (P < .001). For every diopter of increased myopic refractive error, CCT was 1 μm thinner on average (P < .001)., Conclusions: Median CCT increases with age from 1 to 11 years, with the greatest increase present in the youngest age groups. African American children on average have thinner central corneas than white and Hispanic children, whereas white and Hispanic children demonstrate similar CCT.