Infants vision

SPEAKER 1: HEY GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO GOOD DAY KENTUCKY. DID YOU KNOW THAT EVEN IF NO EYE OR VISION PROBLEMS ARE APPARENT IN BABIES, THAT THEY NEED THEIR FIRST EYE ASSESSMENT AT SIX MONTHS. WELL, UNDIAGNOSED AND UNCORRECTED EYE AND VISION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. HERE TO TELL US WHAT PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS NEED TO KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING THEIR CHILDREN’S COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS, IS DR. JENNIFER SMITH ZOLMAN. WELCOME TO THE SHOW DOCTOR.
JENNIFER Z.: THANK YOU.
SPEAKER 1: NOW, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT INFANTS HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM?
JENNIFER Z.: THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION, THEY RECOMMEND THAT AN INFANT BETWEEN THE AGES SIX MONTHS TO TWELVE MONTHS HAS A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IS, ABOUT 80% OF WHAT WE LEARN IS THROUGH OUR EYES AND VISION. SO, AS AN INFANT GOES THROUGH THEIR NORMAL MILESTONES, THEY NEED THAT VISION TO GET THAT INFORMATION IN TO HELP WITH WALKING, TALKING, WITH PERCEIVING THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
SPEAKER 1: WOW. NOW, IF AN INFANT DOESN’T RECEIVE AN EXAM, WHAT RISK CAN THEY FACE AT THAT POINT?
JENNIFER Z.: SOME OF THE RISKS THAT ARE OUT THERE IS THAT THEY DO HAVE A VERY HIGH PRESCRIPTION FOR GLASSES, LIKE NEAR SIGHTEDNESS OR FAR SIGHTEDNESS, OR ASTIGMATISM. THEY CAN DEVELOP SOMETHING CALLED AMBLYOPIA, OR SOME PEOPLE CALL IT LAZY EYE. WE’RE ALSO LOOKING FOR ANY EYE HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT CAN AFFECT THE VISION NOW OR DOWN THE ROAD, THINGS LIKE RETINA BLASTOMAS, OR EVEN CONDITIONS LIKE ADULTS HAVE, BABIES CAN HAVE, LIKE CONGENITAL CATARACTS, CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA. THESE ARE ALL THINGS WE’RE LOOKING FOR ALONG WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, SO THE EYES TEAMING TOGETHER, TRACKING, BRINGING IN ALL THE INFORMATION AROUND THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
SPEAKER 1: WOW. NOW ARE THERE WARNING SIGNS THAT COULD SIGNAL A POSSIBLE VISION PROBLEM IN AN INFANT?
JENNIFER Z.: SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PARENTS CAN LOOK OUT FOR, OBVIOUS WARNING SIGNS WOULD BE IF THE EYES ARE TURNING IN OR OUT, AND STAYING IN THOSE POSITIONS, IF THEY EVER TAKE A PHOTO OF THEIR CHILD, AND ONE OF THE PUPILS IS WHITE WHILE THE OTHER ONE IS A DARKER OR RED COLOR. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF VISION EYE PROBLEMS, THEY DON’T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. SO THAT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO GET THOSE BABIES IN BETWEEN SIX TO 12 MONTHS. THAT’S THE TIME PERIOD WE CAN CATCH A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE CATCH THEM EARLY, IT WON’T AFFECT THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES LATER IN LIFE, AND THEN INTO THEIR ACADEMIC CAREERS.
SPEAKER 1: THAT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE, AND IT’S SO SCARY BECAUSE I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THESE SIGNS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT I SHOULD’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, SO AWARENESS IS SO IMPORTANT. WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS ARE TESTED DURING A COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM?
JENNIFER Z.: SO IT’S REALLY A PRETTY FUN EXAM FOR THE BABIES. WHAT WE USE, WE USE SPECIALIZED LIGHTS AND SOME LENSES, AND WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE WAY THE EYES ARE TEAMING TOGETHER, EYE ALIGNMENT. THIS IS ACTUALLY MY SON, GRAYSON, HE WAS IN THE STUDIO A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, AND WE WERE DOING A LITTLE EYE EXAM ON HIM, AND YOU CAN SEE THEY’RE USUALLY VERY INTO IT. IT DOESN’T HURT THEM, THEY USUALLY SIT IN THEIR PARENTS’ LAP, AND WE GO THROUGH THESE PROCEDURES TO GET THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT LIFETIME OF HEALTHY VISION. THERE’S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. IT’S INFANCY.ORG, AND YOU CAN FIND A DOCTOR LOCATOR FOR A DOCTOR AROUND YOU. THIS IS ALSO A NO-COST ASSESSMENT, SO THERE’S NO REASON A PARENT SHOULDN’T BE INTERESTED IN TAKING THEIR CHILD. THERE’S GONNA BE AN INFANCY EVENT, ACTUALLY, OCTOBER 18TH AND 19TH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PIKEVILLE, KENTUCKY, AND THAT’S THE COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY IN PIKEVILLE, KENTUCKY.
SPEAKER 1: WELL, VERY GOOD. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INSIGHTS AND ALL THE INFORMATION, DR. ZOLMAN. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND AGAIN, FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, AND WE WILL BE BACK RIGHT AFTER THIS. YOU ARE WATCHING GOOD DAY KENTUCKY.