Health screenings are a traditional part of the back-to- school season throughout the country. Eye screenings in particular are important for children entering school for the first time, since vision and learning are inextricably linked.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, vision problems affect one in every 20 preschoolers and one in four school-aged children. Unfortunately, most children do not receive proper eye screenings prior to entering school. Studies show that only about 20 percent of preschool children have their vision screened through government or private programs.
Photoscreening is a screening method that uses a camera to photograph a child’s eye. It can detect conditions such as lazy eye, farsightedness and nearsightedness, cataracts and misalignment of the eyes.
More than 430,000 pre-literate children in the U.S. between the ages of 6 months and 5 years have been photoscreened for such vision problems through their local Lions clubs. Nearly 26,500 of them have been referred for treatment.
These photoscreenings, which are done by trained volunteers, are a cost-effective way to identify vision problems in children...