Timed with the back-to-school season, Prevent Blindness’s campaign for Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month in August aims to raise awareness of childhood vision issues and provide free educational resources for families, educators, and health care professionals.
Fact sheets, social media graphics in English and Spanish, and video content with expert perspectives and patient experiences cover the following topics:
- Common pediatric eye conditions, including amblyopia, strabismus, myopia, retinopathy of prematurity, and vision complications from juvenile diabetes
- Guidance on eye patching for amblyopia, supported by child testimonials
- Tips for eye safety related to contact lenses, sports, UV exposure, screen time, and toy-related hazards
Prevalence and Impact of Childhood Vision Loss
Recent data from the Prevent Blindness Children’s Vision Health Map, developed in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago and the CDC’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System, reveal the scope of pediatric eye conditions, according to a press release:
- 1 in 122 US children has permanent vision loss
- Girls experience vision loss at a rate 25% higher than boys
- In 2019, 1 in 45 children enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP had a diagnosis of amblyopia or strabismus (1 in 94 with amblyopia, 1 in 70 with strabismus)
- Nearly 4 million Medicaid/CHIP-enrolled children received at least 1 pair of eyeglasses in 2019
- A strong correlation (+55%) exists between childhood poverty and vision loss prevalence
Legislative Advocacy for a National Approach
Prevent Blindness is also advocating for systemic policy changes. The organization supports the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act, H.R. 2527, that was recently reintroduced in Congress. The bipartisan bill is supported by more than 100 national and state organizations and seeks to establish the first national program to improve pediatric eye health. It is led by Congressional Vision Caucus cochairs Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33) and cosponsored by several additional members of Congress.
Refer patients to these resources from Prevent Blindness: