Peds & Infant Vision (Intro)

When can optometrists first examine children?

beginning shortly after birth

What type of vision disorders are most in children?

accommodation/binocular

Which strabismus is more common in children?

esotropia

If a parent brings their 13 year old daughter to you for an eye exam, what are the most to least likely vision disorders you would find?

myopia, exotropia, cataracts

If a parent brings their 4 year old son to you for an eye exam, what are the most to least likely vision disorders you would find?

exotropia, color anomaly, amblyopia

Why is early evaluation/screening important?

visual system rapidly develops, easier to examine very young children, vision problems occur early, early intervention leads to better prevention

What is the 4th most common disability in the US?

vision disorders

Why is it easiest to examine a child under 9 months of age?

like to look at lights, minimal motor activity, minimal stranger anxiety, and no fear of new environments

At what age should the first comprehensive vision exam take place?

6 months

At what age should the second comprehensive vision exam take place?

3 years of age

What vision disorders frequently begin to develop at 3 years old?

meridional amblyopia, accommodative esotropia, moderate refractive error

Why isn't the second comprehensive vision exam performed on a 1-2 year old?

difficult to examine, increased motor activity, extreme stranger anxiety, limited attention and communication skills

At what age should the third comprehensive vision exam take place?

5-6 years old

What is important about the third comprehensive vision exam?

preparation for formal education and should be required for school entry

What is recommended for subsequent vision exams following the third comprehensive vision exam?

yearly exams

Why are yearly exams necessary for school aged children?

increase time demand on vision, more detailed tasks, decrease size of print, increase in reading,

Why must pediatric exams be done quick and efficient?

child fatigue and loss of interest

When examining a 5 year old child, it is most important to always:

offer to allow the parent to watch the exam

What is the correct order of development (from first to last to reach adult levels) of the following skills? visual fieldscolor visionocular motilitiesvisual acuity (20/20 Snellen)refractive error

ocular motilities, color vision, visual acuity (20/20), visual fields, refractive error

How many kids are in the US?

75 million

What percentage of preschool aged kids have significant refractive error?

5-10%

What percentage of kids ages 5 to 16 have significant refractive error?

30%

What percentage of kids have non-strabismic binocular / accommodative disorders?

10-20%

What percentage of kids have strabismus?

4%

What percentage of kids have amblyopia?

1-3%

What percentage of kids have color vision defects?

8% males and 0.5% females