Guest Author - MaryTara Wurmser
Screening vision in infants and children is important. But, how do you screen a babies vision quickly and accurately with minimal invasion? What about a toddler or preschool child who cannot read, verbalize or cooperate for a traditional exam? And, what about the special needs population (including Autism spectrum) for whom vision exams are extremely complicated and (speaking from experience with my son) can cause sensory overload?
The Enfant Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System
An answer to the growing need for "quick and easy" eye exams for children is the Enfant Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System made by Diopsys. VEP stands for Visual Evoked Potential technology. This is a fancy way of saying they are measuring the brain responses from a child watching Television! How cool is that? Very!
The Enfant VEP system is able to detect several children's vision issues including: Amblyopia (Lazy Eye), Strabismus, as well as severe refractive errors and optic nerve disorders. Amblyopia, if left untreated will lead to blindness and loss of vision if left untreated. As with any medical condition - early detection is key.
A typical VEP exam
The exam is as simple as an examiner placing three electrodes onto the child's head as well as occluding each eye. The electrodes are painless and the exam is completed in a matter of minutes. The electrodes measure the neurological responses between the brain and the eye as the child watches a cartoon video with music play on a screen a few feet away. Printable results are available to the screener immediately upon the test completion. The results will indicate whether the child has passed or failed and include a numerical score.
Where to find the VEP system
Many pediatricians are carrying The Enfant VEP system as well as pediactric ophthalmologists. It is also covered by many insurance providers. With the AAP recommending that children receive vision screening at 6 months of age - state of the art systems like The Enfant VEP will soon become "the norm".
