6-Month and 3-Year Old Visual Evaluations for In general, we do not - PDF document

The Problem 6-Month and 3-Year Old Visual Evaluations for In general, we do not currently see children under the age of 6 or 7. Only 14% of those under 6 have Primary Care Optometry had any kind of visual evaluation. If they have eye/vision problems either the pediatrician deals with them or they are referred to a pediatric Paul Harris, OD ophthalmologist. This establishes the fraternity of College of Optometrists in Vision Development, Fellow MD’s as THE health care practitioners for children Australasian College of Behavioral Optometry, Fellow and affords the MD’s the ability to establish strong American Academy of Optometry, Fellow bonds with the children and their families. The Problem The Problem Primary care optometrists may not feel comfortable with working with infants and Thus, the lack of clinical training combined preschoolers. Much of what we learned to do with the lack of experience with this population clinically works well with cooperative patients has led some optometrists to draw back from who will sit quietly in the chair and will respond actively seeking to work with this population. to our probes in the manner we expect. Infants tend to work on their own schedules and react in their own manner. We must adapt to them. 1

The Problem: prevalence/incidence Changes are in the air! • Amblyopia – Affects 6,000,000 Americans – 75,000 new cases a year found in 3-year-olds • Operation Bright Start – Causes more vision loss in under 45-year-olds • AOA Clinical Practice Guidelines than all other ocular diseases and trauma! • PTA Resolution • Strabismus • Kansas Optometric Association Program -- – Pseudotropia See to Learn – Infantile: 1-2% of the population – Accommodative Esotropia: 2-2.5% of the population can be diagnosed by ages 2-4 AOA Resolution 1992 AOA Clinical Resolved, that the American Practice Optometric Association inform the Guidelines public of the need to have infants’ eyes examined by six months of age by their family optometrist. 2

The end result: Today’s Goal Whether you are ready or not, over the next few To help you feel more comfortable with the years you will be getting calls from parents that evaluation of the 6-month and the 3-year old have learned that they should be seeking out the when they come into your office. care of a primary care optometrist for their new- born and their preschoolers. Where does this information Topics to be addressed come from? • What am I looking for? • 20 years clinical experience • What tests should I be doing? • AOA Optometric Clinical Practice Guideline • What can I treat and how? • Operation Bright Start • What do I do with the other things I find? • Conference on Clinical Vision Care - 4 • What new equipment do I need to get? 3

Why 6-months and 3-years? Why 6-months and 3-years? “Clinical experience and research have shown “At about 3 years of age children have achieved that at 6 months the average child has reached a adequate receptive and expressive language number of critical developmental milestones skills to begin to cooperate for some of the making this an appropriate age for the first eye traditional subjective eye and vision test. By 6 and vision examination. At this age the average years of age, most adult tests can be used with child can sit up with support and cognitively is children with minor procedural modifications. concerned with immediate sensory experiences. Appropriate test procedures need to be based on Accommodation and stereopsis develop rapidly, the child’s developmental age and specific reaching adult levels by 6 months.” AOA capability.” AOA Steps of the exam The Optometrist’s Responsibility • History “ The optometrist’s responsibility is • Ocular Health not to do specific tests - it is to • Ocular Alignment and Motility assume responsibility for all • Visual Acuity and Refractive Status aspects of eye and vision care for all patients presenting to the office.” Glen Steele, OEP President 4

Asymmetries are clues to What should I look for? maladaptation • Retinoscopy • Asymmetry – Dioptrics • Asymmetry – Brightness • Asymmetry – Color • Fixation • Visual acuity • Eye alignment Test for the 6-month-old • Pre-examination questionnaire • Comprehensive case history The Opticokinetic • Retinoscopy - dimly lit room - no lenses Nystagmus • Penlight motility and CNP/NPC Drum. • OKN • Face Dot Test • VOR • Hirschberg & Cover Test & Prism challenge • Ophthalmoscopy & Pupils 5

The Face Dot Test Test for the 6-month-old • Pre-examination questionnaire • Comprehensive case history • Retinoscopy - dimly lit room - no lenses • Penlight motility and CNP/NPC • OKN • Face Dot Test • VOR • Hirschberg & Cover Test & Prism challenge • Ophthalmoscopy & Pupils Test for the 3-year-old Prescribing Pearls • Pre-examination questionnaire • Comprehensive case history • Allow emmetropization to take place • Visual acuity - pictures, tumbling “E”, broken • Wait on Rx unless esotropia is present wheel test • Wait on Rx if child was a preemie • Cover testing; cover-uncover, alternate cover • Prescribe lenses that positively affect the • Motility testing child’s interaction with the environment. • CNP/NPC RGR • General guide: be conservative: 1/3rd of • Worth 4 dot distance & near what you measure to begin with! • Randot Stereo Testing < more > 6

The Broken Wheel Test Picture Chart from Bernell for working Corporation with children done by Dr. Jack Richmond of NEWENCO Test for the 3-year-old (cont.) • Keystone Basic Binocular Test The Worth 4 • Near point retinoscopy dot used at • Far point retinoscopy both distance • Form board puzzles; 3, 6, & 12 pieces and near to • Square inch cubes; 3 block bridge, tower assess basic • Stand on one foot and then other binocularity. • Jump in place with two feet • Hop on one foot and then other 7

Form puzzles, 3, The Keystone 6 & 12 piece Basic Binocular puzzles. Test, excellent for young children, strabismics, amblyopes and head injured patients. What can I treat and how? • Acute – Damaged Infrastructure – Significant developmental delay The Piaget 3- – Inconsistencies in data Block Bridge • Intermediate – Developmental counseling – Lenses – Monitoring • No concern all looks normal 8

What can I treat and how? What can I treat and how? “If the patient is normal and no risk factors have “If a subtle sign of a visual problem is identified been identified and the findings are all right, then then the parents should be educated and follow up should be done between 24 and 36 counseled. The optometrist should employ all months of age. They should be seen sooner if procedures and treatments within the scope of they enter a formal nursery program of if the their license, including referral within our parent observes any signs or symptoms of a profession. Once these are exhausted or if there significant visual problem as discussed by the are indications then multidisciplinary consults optometrist. The parents should be educated should be sought out for the child (OT, PT, during the initial assessment.” CCVC neurology, allergy, speech, auditory, etc.)” CCVC What can I treat and how? How do I sign up for OBS? “If there are overt findings of amblyopia, anisometropia, high hyperopia, high myopia, Kentucky optometrists can sign up right strabismus, ocular pathology, movement now to be part of Operation Bright Start. problems, auditory problems, etc. and treatment You can do this on-line at: is within the scope of optometry, the optometrist should manage and/or treat based on the www.operationbrightstart.com optometrist’s comfort level. Any care that is required that goes beyond the comfort level of the optometrist should be referred to a colleague.” CCVC 9

Patient #1 SR 7 months Patient #2 TM age 12 months • History - Parents note no problems • Taken from birth parents at age 6 months • Ocular health - shows expected normal appearance • Diagnosed as “Shaken Baby Syndrome” • Ocular motility - full EOM with sustained fixation • Previous diagnosis of subretinal hemorrhage in the macular area of the right eye • Binocularity - alignment on Hirschberg - global stereo on Keystone Basic Binocular Test - good fixation on • Intermittent right exotropia with increasing frequency penlight reported by foster parent • Refraction - +0.50 with -0.75 cylinder axis 180 • Asymmetric visual acuity with the left significantly better than the right • Full symmetry on all other measures • Visual acuity OD Face Dot 12” OD Face Dot 50” Patient #3 RG age 9 months Patient #4 RL age 7 months • No problems noted • Born at 26 weeks • Ocular health normal • Released by retina clinic • Ocular motility: full with head movement, good • Ocular health: normal fixation • Full EOM • Alignment: ortho at distance and near • Alignment - intermittent exotropia at distance and • Binocularity: good reaction on Keystone Basic orthophoria at near Binocular Test, penlight, and Hirshberg symmetrical • Retinoscopy: OD -11.00 OS -11.00 • Retinoscopy: +1.00 -1.00 X 90 OU • Visual Acuity: symmetrical • Visual Acuity: symmetrical 10