New Visual Impairments Caused by Zika

"Researchers studying babies with a Zika virus-related birth defect say they have found previously unreported eye problems possibly linked to the virus that could result in severe visual impairment," reports Science Daily. "In three Brazilian infants with microcephaly, the researchers observed retinal lesions, hemorrhaging and abnormal blood vessel development not noted before in relation to the virus. The findings are being published online today in Ophthalmology, journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology." Read more.

New Computer Model Simulates the Development of an Infant's Visual Cortex after Birth

"When newborn babies open their eyes for the first time, they already possess nerve cells specialized in particular stimuli in the visual cortex of their brains - but these nerve cells are not systematically linked with each other," reports Medical News Today. "How do neural networks that react in a particular way to particular features of a stimulus develop over the course of time? In order to better understand the steps of this development and explain the complicated processes of reorganization they involve, an international team of researchers has now developed a computer model that precisely simulates the biological processes. The results of the study by Prof. Dr. Stefan Rotter, Bernstein Center Freiburg (BCF) and Cluster of Excellence BrainLinks-BrainTools of the University of Freiburg, conducted in cooperation with Dr. Claudia Clopath from the Imperial College London, England, have now been published in the journals PLOS Computational Biology and PLOS ONE." Read more.

CL Treatment in Infants More Cost Effective Than IOL Implantation

“Cataract surgery paired with IOL implantation and spectacle correction in infants cost more when compared with cataract surgery with contact lens treatment, according to a study. The Infant Aphakia Treatment Study included 114 infants with unilateral congenital cataract who underwent cataract surgery with and without IOL implantation.” That’s the word from Healio’s Ophthalmology. “The retrospective cost analysis of the study showed that, up to 1 year of age, the mean cost for cataract extraction with IOL implantation was $14,752, whereas the mean cost for cataract extraction with contact lens treatment was $10,726, a 37.5% difference.” Read more.

Eye Health Calculator, Infant Eye Care Program, and EyeCare America's Cataract Programs

"The Healthy Sight Calculator [sponsored by Transitions] allows users to calculate their risk for eye-related diseases and vision problems, and how much they could save - in time, money and sight - with the right vision care and vision wear through their vision benefit," says LehighAcresCitiizen. "Results vary based on the user's age, gender and ethnicity, all of which impact risk for vision problems and health issues that can affect the eyes. The new tool can be used by employers to educate their workforce, or accessed directly by consumers at HealthySightCalculator.org." Read more. You might want to refer your patients to the site.

You might also want to remind parents of infants about the InfantSEE program, run by the AOA and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson's Vision Care Institute.  Its website states the program "is designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. Under this program, AOA optometrists provide a comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants within the first year of life regardless of a family's income or access to insurance coverage.

Finally "though cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide, myths persist about their cause and treatment. More than 20 million people in the US older than 40 have cataracts, and more than half of them will develop cataracts by age 80, according to the National Eye Institute," goes the press release from Eyecare America. "In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people age 65 and older [The medication assistance isn't relevant to cataracts]. The eye exams are provided by a corps of nearly 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Those interested in the program can visit www.eyecareamerica.org to see if they are eligible. The organization's online referral center also enables friends and family members to find out instantly if their loved ones are eligible to be matched with an EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist." Read more.