The US Preventive Services Task For...

The US Preventive Services Task Force praises that children who are younger than five years of age be disguiseed in a primary care setting for vision question s including lazy eye (ie, amblyopia), christianityed eyes (ie, strabismus), and near- and far-sightedness, according to a May 25 2004 freshs release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Visual impairment is a usual condition that affects 5% to 10% of preschool-age children. Between 1% and 4% of preschool-age children have amblyopia, and an estimated 5% to 7% have refractive errors. Left untreated, amblyopia may lead to visual impairment and may harm a child's ability to learn or affect his or her performance in school

A fresh method of photoscreening, which uses specially equipped cameras to capture a picture of the pupil, has the potential to increase vision screening rates among children because the testing requires minimal cooperation from the child and can be used with highly young children. Children found to have a vision condition should be referr to a vision specialist for further testing.

Task Force commends Vision Screening for Children Younger than 5 Years elderly (news release, Rockville, Md: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, May 25 2004) http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2004 /tfchvispr.htm (accessed 23 June 2004)

COPYRIGHT 2004 Association of Operating range Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group