Too Few Infants Get Comprehensive Eye Assessments; One in 10 Have Undetected Vision Problems

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- One in 10 infants in the U.S. have undetected vision problems, ranging from crossed eyes to cancer. While most parents know eye and vision problems can be detected in children before they're a year old, only 19 percent of those who participated in the American Optometric Association's (AOA) annual Eye-Q® survey report taking their infant for a comprehensive eye assessment. Thirty-three percent of parents wait until their child is between one and two years of age, while 26 percent wait until their child is five years of age or older.

"It is critical that infants undergo a comprehensive eye assessment from an optometrist by the time they turn a year old," said Dr. Glen Steele, optometrist and chair of the InfantSEE® committee, a program of Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation. "Optometrists have the clinical background and expertise to detect eye and vision problems as well as ensure your baby has healthy eyes and their vision is developing appropriately."

Unfortunately, only 19 percent of respondents know that cancer can be detected in an infant's eyes, while the majority of respondents understand problems like lazy eye (amblyopia), crossed eyes, nearsightedness and farsightedness could be identified.

"Early intervention is essential for maintaining infant eye and vision health," said Dr. Steele. "Most conditions are easier to treat when caught early."

Traditional eye chart testing requires identification of letters or symbols and demands sustained attention, making it impossible to use with infants and toddlers. Instead, an evaluation of visual acuity includes tests to assess whether an infant can fix his eyes on an object and follow the object, or identify which objects the baby prefers to look and at what distances.

"It is crucial that parents understand the importance of comprehensive eye exams for infants and how they are administered," said Dr. Steele. "The good news about a trip to the optometrist is that most babies seem to enjoy the 'games' we use to determine whether their visual development is progressing normally and their eyes are healthy."

Demographic Comparisons

Ethnicity Comparisons

According to the 2010 Eye-Q® survey, Hispanics (26 percent) are more likely than Caucasians (17 percent) and African-Americans (16 percent) to take their baby for a comprehensive eye assessment before their first birthday. The majority of Caucasians (35 percent) wait until their child is between one and two years of age, while the majority of African-Americans (36 percent) wait until their child is five years of age or older to have a comprehensive eye exam administered.

Gender Comparisons

Surprisingly, more men (21 percent) than women (17 percent) report having their infants' eyes checked by an eye doctor between six months and one year of age. In addition, the majority of male respondents (37 percent) reported their child having a comprehensive eye exam for the first time between one and two years of age, compared to the majority of female respondents (37 percent) who said their child was five years or older.

How the AOA Can Help

Optometry Cares - The AOA Foundation and Vistakon®, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. created InfantSEE®, a no-cost public health program developed to provide professional eye care for infants nationwide. Through InfantSEE®, optometrists provide a one-time, comprehensive eye assessment to infants between six and 12 months of age, regardless of a parent's ability to pay.

The AOA recommends that infants have an InfantSEE® assessment before their first birthday and young children have comprehensive eye exams at age three, before starting school and then every two years thereafter.

Parents wanting to know more about the InfantSEE® program and to find a local doctor can go to www.InfantSEE.org or call toll-free 1-888-396-EYES (3937).

About the survey:

The fifth annual American Eye-Q® survey was created and commissioned in conjunction with Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB).  From April 14-21, 2010, using an online methodology, PSB interviewed 1,007 Americans 18 years and older who embodied a nationally representative sample of U.S. general population.  (Margin of error at 95 percent confidence level.)

About InfantSEE®

InfantSEE® is a public health program managed by Optometry Cares, The AOA Foundation. Designed to ensure that eye and vision care become an integral part of infant wellness and improve a child's quality of life, doctors of optometry provide one-time, no-cost eye and vision assessment to infants between the ages of 6 and 12 months regardless of family income or access to insurance coverage. For more information, visit www.infantsee.org.

About the American Optometric Association (AOA):

The American Optometric Association represents approximately 36,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians. Optometrists serve patients in nearly 6,500 communities across the country, and in 3,500 of those communities are the only eye doctors.  Doctors of optometry provide two-thirds of all primary eye care in the United States.

American Optometric Association doctors of optometry are highly qualified, trained doctors on the frontline of eye and vision care who examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. In addition to providing eye and vision care, optometrists play a major role in a patient's overall health and well-being by detecting systemic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Prior to optometry school, optometrists typically complete four years of undergraduate study, culminating in a bachelor's degree. Required undergraduate coursework for pre-optometry students is extensive and covers a wide variety of advanced health, science and mathematics.

Optometry school consists of four years of post-graduate, doctoral study concentrating on both the eye and systemic health. In addition to their formal training, doctors of optometry must undergo annual continuing education to stay current on the latest standards of care. For more information, visit www.aoa.org.

SOURCE InfantSEE