PlusOptix Vision Screening Webinar
Amblyopia is one of the most common visual problems of childhood, occurring in 2.5 % of children. It is defined as poor vision caused by abnormal development of visual areas of the brain; if undetected and untreated it can lead to permanent vision impairment.
Unfortunately, less than 40 % of children are screened for this condition. Causes of amblyopia include strabismus (misalignment of eyes), anisometropia (inequality of vision of both eyes because of refractive errors or astigmatism), cataracts, ptosis, or other factors. Because children do not complain of problems with visual acuity, and affected eyes often appear normal, amblyopia can easily go undetected unless a child has vision screening done routinely at health maintenance examinations.
Vision screening in children aged younger than 3 years in a medical office can be challenging because few children this age can be screened with a vision chart. From age 3 to 5 years, screening is possible with Snellen charts, Tumbling E charts, or picture tests such as Allen Visual Acuity Cards, but this is time consuming and can lead to inconsistent or erroneous results. According to the latest 2016 guidelines Screening instruments detect amblyopia, high refractive error, and strabismus. I recommend that Instrument-based screening should be performed at age two and repeated at each annual preventive medicine encounter through 7 years of age.
Amblyopia remains treatable until age 7 years, with rapid decline of effective treatment after age 5 years. The goal of vision screening in infants and young children, therefore, must be the early detection of high severity (magnitude) amblyopia risk factors (ARFs), including moderate or severe astigmatism, anisometropic myopia, high hyperopia, severe strabismus, and opacities in the visual axis, including retinoblastoma or other ocular entities that cause opacities that interfere with transmission of light to and from the retina.This webinar, sponsored by Plusoptix, details how screening with Plusoptix photoscreeners can facilitate identification of children at risk for amblyopia who should be seen by an optometrist or ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment. It also describes a pilot study demonstrating that if a child who refers on vision screening is given an appointment with a vision specialist before departing the pediatrician’s office, the success of achieving a completed diagnostic exam will exceed 90%!
