Screening for pediatric eye disease
Essman, S.W.; Essman, T.F.
American Family Physician 46(4): 1243-1252
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-838X PMID: 1472256 Document Number: 399844
The majority of preschool children in the United States are not screened for visual problems. To avoid permanent visual loss, standardized screening should be incorporated into well-child examinations so that treatment can be initiated promptly. Newborns should be checked for the red reflex, pupillary responses and any constant eye deviation. Infants six months old should be checked for these responses and for "fixation and following" and ocular alignment. Visual acuity should be tested in three- to four-year-old children using the "tumbling E" test, Allen pictures or the HOTV chart.