Infants Need to Have Eye Dilation Exams.
The pupil of an infant is small in diameter and needs to be dilated in order for the ophthalmoscope to detect tumors, cataracts, and other ocular diseases.
This is easily done at the well-baby visit. After the infant is weighed, the nurse administers the eye dilation drop in the corner of each eye. At the end of the exam, when the pupils are dilated, the pediatrician will check the eyes with the ophthalmoscope in a darkened room. This causes no extra time to the doctor. Remember, using the ophthalmoscope is part of the standard exam.
The pediatricians who are performing routine eye dilation exams want to see all doctors doing the same. It takes only ten seconds of a nurse's time to put in the drops...all of which cost only pennies. I refer to it as "the ten second, three cent exam."
One pediatrician who has been performing the exam for over ten years described it as "gentle, safe and cost effective." While another pediatrician doing routine eye dilation exams since 1984 wrote, "I only wish we had other simple, inexpensive and safe methods of screening for other diseases that have a potential devastating impact as loss of sight or loss of life.'
One in every 677 live births in the United States has a treatable eye disease or anomaly that will cause blindness unless detected early. Some of them can take sight as early as two months of age. Retinoblastoma will take life if not detected and allowed to escape out of the eye.
Other Infant eye diseases: Cataracts, tumors, Coat's Disease, Glaucoma, and ONH.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Premature babies have automatic eye dilation exams. Sadly, 90 percent of the infants born with eye diseases are the healthy babies and we are not looking in their eyes! ASK FOR THIS EXAM! Early detection and referral are key to saving vision and life.
THE INFANT EYE CARE BILL, nicknamed "Joey's Bill"; was written in the state of Florida after Joey died. The bill is asking for eye dilation exams at birth, the 6 to 8 week well-baby exam and one more at the 6-9 month well baby exam.
Eye dilation exams in the beginning of life are vital to the health and welfare of our children.
Bottom line...what we did for hearing, we now need to do for sight. Vision screening needs to start at birth. Every child has the right to healthy vision and life. This legislation will help ensure that right.
No child will needlessly go blind, loose an eye, or die to any treatable eye disease. It is a gift that we can fix this for our children. Working together we will make it happen. Joey is smiling.
If you need information or have questions, please contact me at any time:
Pam Bergsma
619 South K. St.Lake Worth, FL 33460
(561) 586-2094 or (561) 379-6374 [cell]
lovejoey@bellsouth.net
Why Eye Dilation Exams Matter
Infants are born with small pupils that are difficult to examine for eye diseases. To detect tumors, cataracts, and other ocular issues, the pupil must be dilated. This simple, routine procedure is performed at well-baby visits and allows doctors to fully examine the retina for any abnormalities.
The Process
After weighing the baby, the nurse administers a drop in the corner of each eye. Once the pupils are dilated, the pediatrician performs the standard of care, using an ophthalmoscope in a dark room, to check for any potential issues.
Why Routine Eye Exams Are Crucial
The vast majority of eye diseases that can affect infants, including Retinoblastoma, cataracts, and glaucoma, can be treated or managed with early detection. Studies show that one in every 677 live births in the U.S. has an eye condition that could lead to blindness or worse if not detected. Retinoblastoma, in particular, is fatal if not treated in its early stages... early detection is key to 20/20 vision.
While premature infants automatically receive eye dilation exams, healthy infants do not. It is encouraged for every parent to ask for eye dilation exams in the first year of life. Eye dilation greatly enhances the pediatricians ability to see the back of the eye properly and enables them to detect and refer the baby to an eye doctor. Examination with eye dilation is a simple procedure that could make all the difference in preventing vision loss or even saving a child's life.
Early detection is key to saving vision and lives.
Note: The glow of retinoblastoma (Leukocoria) is very bright and easily detected if the exam is done the right way.
Joey's Bill: Legislation for Change
After Joey’s passing, his family made it their mission to enhance the standard of care for all children. Their dedication led to the creation of “Joey’s Bill” in Florida, aimed at ensuring that comprehensive eye dilation exams become a routine part of early pediatric care — at birth, at the 6–8 week well-baby visit, and again at 6–9 months. Just as newborn hearing screenings transformed early detection, they believe vision screenings must follow the same path. By setting a higher standard, Joey’s Bill strives to give every child the best possible start in life — protecting their sight, their health, and their future.
Joey just needed a pediatrician who knew how to use his ophthalmoscope, sadly he was not provided the standard of care. Through Joey's journey we learned newborns need an enhanced standard of care. Joey's message is for all children to have the best sight possible, and that starts at birth.
What happens when an eye is enucleated?
When a child's eye is removed (enucleated) due to late detection of Retinoblastoma it is replaced with round coral implant which is wrapped in donated scleral tissue and then attached to the muscles of the eye that was removed. This enables the implant to move coordinately with the other eye. The coral and scleral become part of the body and never need to be replaced, the implant is alive and grows with the child.
The prosthesis is made by an ocularist, who carefully paints it to match the child’s natural eye. It covers and shapes the implant, helping to maintain the proper form of the eye socket. As the child grows, the prosthesis must be periodically enlarged and replaced to preserve symmetry and the natural shape of the eyes and face. Note: This is the same procedure for one or both eyes.
*Joey's prosthetic eye looked so real, the doctors in NY and Houston thought it was his real eye. In exams they would be dumbfounded when they realized it was the fake one. We've come a long way with prosthetics, but you can not see out of them. Early detection is the key!
Examples of prosthetic eye inserts.