Did you know?

1 out of 10 children are at risk from undiagnosed vision problems?

Amblyopia - often referred to as lazy eye - a leading cause of vision loss in people younger than 45, will affect 1 in 30 children

*Public health experts recommend that children visit an eye care professional in the first year of life to identify the potential for eye and vision problems. That’s because this time is one of the most critical stages of visual development.*

What is InfantSEE?

InfantSEE is a no-cost public health program developed to provide professional eye care for infants nationwide.  It was created by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Through InfantSEE, optometry providers offer a one-time, comprehensive eye assessment to infants in their first year of life, offering early detection of potential eye and vision problems at no cost, regardless of income.  

What to expect:

A baby’s first visit to the optometrist should typically happen between 6 and 12 months of age. Although infants cannot respond verbally, the first year of life is an ideal time to conduct a comprehensive assessment. Aside from being a critical time for development, children at this age typically do not yet fear doctor’s visits.

Typically an infant will sit on his or her parent’s lap during the assessment, while the optometrist will use lights and other hand held objects, like finger puppets, to check that the baby’s eyes are working together and that there are no significant issues that will interfere with proper vision development.

During the assessment the optometrist will test to make sure the infant is seeing clearly, will look for unequal amounts of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism and will check to see that the eyes are seeing straight and working together as a team.

The optometrist may use drops or a spray to dilate the baby’s pupils to get a better look inside and ensure the health of the eye. Generally, infants find the assessment painless and often fun!

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