Usa: Optometric Association promotes InfantSee program

Each year, millions of children are faced with undiagnosed eye problems that can lead to permanent vision loss or difficulty in school. To address this serious problem, former President Jimmy Carter has joined forces with the American Optometric Association (Aoa).

Carter serves as honorary chair and national spokesperson for Aoa's InfantSee program which provides free eye exams for infants in an effort to detect amblyopia ('lazy eye') and other vision problems early in life.

InfantSee doctors use lights and other handheld objects to make sure infants' eyes are working together. They also check for nearsightedness and retinoblastoma (a cancer that can lead to loss of an eye if not treated early).

With a family history of amblyopia, Carter is urging parents to take action. 'We have eleven grandchildren and two of them have been afflicted with amblyopia, or 'lazy eye'. And we really didn't know it until they got to the first grade and had problems seeing the blackboard,' said the former President. 'It took us a lot of effort and time to correct it. But if they just had the opportunity to go to an optometrist the first year of life, they could have been corrected and they never would have suffered'.

Over 6,500 optometrists have signed up to participate in the InfantSee program.

(Source: Vision Council of America)