Young Vision Care - Recent Eye News

2010 Diabetes Eye Care The American Diabetes Association has issued these 2010 Standards of Medical Care for retinopathy screening and treatment:

To reduce the risk or slow the progression of retinopathy, optimize glycemic control and blood pressure control.

Adults and children with Type 1 diabetes and age 10 years or older should have an initial dilated and comprehensive eye exam by an opthamologist or optometrist within 5 years after onset of diabetes.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes should have a dilated and comprehensive eye exam by an opthamologist or optometrist shortly after the onset of diabetes.

Subsequent comprehensive eye exams should be repeated annually. More frequent exams may be needed if retinopathy is progressing.

High quality fundus photographs can detect most clinically significant diabetic retinopathy. Interpretation of the photographs should be performed by a trained eye care provider. While retinal photography may serve as a screening tool for retinopathy, it is not a substitute for a comprehensive eye examination.

Women with preexisting diabetes who are planning pregnancy or who have become pregnant should have a comprehensive eye exam and be counseled on the risk of development and/or progression of diabetic retinopathy. Eye examination should occur in the first trimester with close follow up throughout pregnancy and for one year postpartum.

AOA Secures New Federal Recognition and Funding for InfantSEEŽ Program December 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law a measure that provides nearly $600,000 in new federal resources to help expand the scope and impact of InfantSEEŽ - the signature public health program of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and administered by Optometry's CharityTM - The AOA Foundation.

On Dec. 16, President Obama signed into law the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2009, which was approved by the U.S. House and Senate and cleared the way for the White House earlier this month. The bill, which provides funding for the operations of many areas of the federal government, includes $590,000 in new direct appropriations for InfantSEEŽ and is designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness.

The first direct appropriation, sponsored by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) totaled $500,000 and is aimed at supporting expansion and outreach of the program.

"Many parents of newborns do not know that the most dramatic development of a child's visual system occurs within the first year of life," said Sen. Byrd. "And it is through early detection and treatment of potential problems that parents can help ensure poor vision and eye health does not severely affect their child's ability to learn and place them at a disadvantage in education and in life."

The second direct appropriation totaling $90,000 was sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and will support program expansion through outreach in Iowa.

"InfantSEEŽ is doing much more than identifying and treating risk factors that may cause eye and vision problems later in the life," said Sen. Harkin. "They are taking prevention to a new level to ensure healthier, thriving children and lower health care costs down the road."