Baby Sees Parents for First Time

"It's an emotion often only shared between optometrist and patient—that thrill of seeing clearly for the very first time. But in baby Piper's case, her first moment of clarity was experienced millions of times," according to an American Optometric Association (AOA). "Thirty million times to be exact. Members can reach out and underscore the importance of infant and early childhood eye exams. Picked up by a CNN Headline News segment on Monday, July 13, the video of 10-month-old Piper's amazed reaction to seeing her parents clearly for the first time had already gone positively viral, taking the message of InfantSEE® and the importance of children's eye exams along with it." Read more. You can see the video at station NWA's home page.

AOA Survey Says Parents Don't Realize Importance of Infant Eye Exams

Only 19 percent of parents know that a child should have his/her first comprehensive eye exam between six and 12 months when visual development is most dramatic. This is one result from the American Optometric Association's (AOA) 2014 American Eye-Q survey. Optometry Cares – The AOA Foundation administers the InfantSEE program, which provides a no-cost one-time, assessment of infants' vision in their first year of life. These assessments complement routine well-care exams a baby receives from a pediatrician. Optometrists are trained to identify areas critical to vision development and have the tools needed to identify conditions not necessarily detected in a routine pediatric exams. Read more.

New Mexico ODs Giving Free Eye Exams to Infants

New Mexico optometrists will perform free eye and vision assessments for infants between six and 12 months of age throughout 2012. The project is being supported by InfantSEE. To emphasize the importance of this effort, Governor Susana Martinez declared last week InfantSEE Week in New Mexico. InfantSEE, a program by Optometry Cares - The AOA Foundation and Vistakon, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., provides professional eye care for infants nationwide at no-cost, regardless of family income or number of eligible children.Read more.

Call for Nominations for InfantSEE

The AOA Foundation and the InfantSEE program invite the optometry community to submit nominations for the Dr. W. David Sullins, Jr., InfantSEE Award. This award recognizes an individual doctor of optometry who has made significant contributions to optometry or his/her community for outstanding public service involving the InfantSEE program. The award will be presented at Optometry’s Meeting in Chicago, IL, slated for June 27 – July 1, 2012. Read more.

Maine ODs Provide Infants Free Screenings

Due to the overwhelming number of children with eye and vision problems across the United States, Maine optometrists are devoting appointments throughout the year to no-cost, comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants between six and 12 months of age through InfantSEE.  To call attention to and emphasize the importance of this effort, U.S. Representative Mike Michaud (D-Maine) has declared the week of February 6 through February 11, 2012 InfantSEE Week in Maine. Read more.