New Statement from U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommends Vision Screening for All Children at Least Once Between 3 and 5
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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 31, 2011 — The importance of vision screening for children 3 to 5 years old was confirmed today with the publishing of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) statement in Pediatrics (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2010-3177v1). This new statement is an update to the 2004 statement on vision screening and says, “There is adequate evidence that early treatment of amblyopia in children ages 3 to 5 years leads to improved visual outcomes.”
The Children’s Eye Foundation supports vision screening in the medical home, a doctor’s office or clinic, through its See by Three (www.seebythree.org) program, which is being implemented in Fort Worth, Texas, and will train about 300 medical professionals to screen more than 26,000 children.
Thomas Rogers, Children’s Eye Foundation executive director adds, “This recent statement by the USPSTF reinforces what we frequently tell parents, that they should not wait until kindergarten for a vision screening and they should ask their pediatrician to perform a vision screening if their child is between 3 and 5.”
In addition to ensuring that all children aged 3 to 5 in Fort Worth receive a vision screening, See by Three will also examine the effectiveness of objective vision screening devices in detecting vision disorders in children younger than 3 years old.
In support of pediatricians who are interested in objective vision screening devices, the Children’s Eye Foundation has developed an online resource to evaluate current technologies: http://www.childrenseyefoundation.org/Programs/See-by-Three/Objective-Screening-Devices.aspx.
About the Children’s Eye Foundation
The CEF promotes the prevention, treatment, research, and public awareness of children’s eye diseases and disorders, including strabismus and amblyopia.
The mission of the CEF is to eliminate preventable blindness in children.
The CEF is the official Foundation of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). AAPOS is the largest physician organization in the world dedicated to children’s eye care and adults with strabismus. There are currently more than 1,200 members of AAPOS, representing 41 countries.
Web Site: http://www.childrenseyefoundation.org
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