Program launches to screen kids for eye problems

January 10, 2011

The Children's Eye Foundation has launched its national vision screening program, See by Three, in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. The program, which has already helped 10,000 youngsters in Florida and West Virginia, will reach as many as 26,000 kids living in Texas over the next four years.

It will help train area pediatricians and other healthcare providers on proper vision screening methods. It will also help to educate parents about the need for early detection and treatment as well as refer any affected children to ophthalmologists.

One of the vision disorders the program is targeting is amblyopia (lazy eye), which can lead to vision loss.

Amblyopia is the loss or lack of development of central vision in one eye and is not correctable with eyeglasses or contact lenses, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA).

While the affliction usually develops before the age of 6, early diagnosis increases the chance for complete recovery. The older a child is when diagnosed, the longer and less effective treatments are, according to the AOA.

Eye care experts recommend children undergo a thorough eye exam before the age of three to screen for amblyopia and other vision disorders.