Let InfantSEE® Start Your Baby off Right, With Healthy Sight!

Objective. The purpose of the project was to promote and increase awareness of the InfantSEE® program, a free service offered to parents to detect ocular abnormalities in infants 6-12 months. Background. Early eye exams are necessary for early detection and successful treatment of developmental and pathological disorders. In 2005, The American Optometric Association launched InfantSEE®, a “public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care become an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child’s quality of life.” Under this program, participating optometrists will provide comprehensive eye assessments to infants up to their first year of life. Methods. We created an appealing poster with information about the program, important stages in visual development, steps of an InfantSEE® assessment and where they can find participating optometrists. We also handed out business cards of a participating optometrist at NSU’s eye clinic. We asked participants a few questions: (i) If they had ever heard of the InfantSEE® program, (ii) If they would tell others about the program, and (iii) If they, themselves, would ever participate in the program. Results. Out of 52 individuals that we spoke to, 45 (87%) did not know about InfantSEE®. However, after learning about InfantSEE®, 39 people (87%) planned to tell others about InfantSEE® and 35 people (78%) said they would participate in InfantSEE®. In total, 47 brochures were passed out.