In May 2000, members of the Iowa Lions Clubs teamed up with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to work toward enhancing early detection and treatment of vision problems in children. Lori Short, program coordinator, talks about the program and a recent milestone:
What is the name of this joint effort program?
The name of the program is Iowa KidSight and it's one of 16 statewide KidSight programs.
Who is the KidSight program intended for?
It's intended as an annual service for any child who lives in Iowa who is between six months of age and four years of age.
How does KidSight work?
Volunteer members of Iowa Lions Clubs conduct vision screenings in their local communities. Typically they go into preschool settings, and the Lions Club members are trained to use a special Polaroid camera that can detect vision problems in a child's developing visual system.
What happens after the Polaroid photo is taken?
The Lions Club members mail the screening photographs in to the KidSight office at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where they're interpreted and the results are then recorded and reported.
And if a problem is detected with the photo, what are the next steps?
If a problem is detected, the parents receive a referral packet with a list of ophthalmologists and optometrists who practice in the county they live in and surrounding counties. They're asked to make an appointment and return an evaluation sheet to the KidSight office after they've had a dilated eye examination.
Are there generally symptoms with a child's eyesight that a parent might notice without this simple photo test?
Generally, no—it is hard for parents and care givers to notice a problem because children this young can't always communicate that there is something wrong with their vision.
The program has been running since 2000. How many children have had their eyes screened by this program in the past eight years?
Over 100,000—just this past October, we celebrated a milestone of the 100,000th screening that was provided.
How did you celebrate the 100,000th screening?
It takes a while for us to tabulate all of that so it wasn't until the first part of December that KidSight volunteers and staff met up with the school nurse and a preschooler and his family at Starmont Elementary School in Arlington, Iowa, and there the boy was presented a savings bond for being that 100,000th child that was screened.
Over the eight years, do you have any idea how many of those 100,000 children tested had a vision problem detected?
Yes, in fact we looked at that. There were 4,009 children that needed referral for a comprehensive eye examination.
If someone wanted to schedule KidSight to come to their day care or preschool, how would they get in touch with you?
Absolutely—they can first contact a member of their local Lions Club to request a screening. Or they may contact Iowa KidSight at 319-353-7616 or e-mail us at kidsight@uiowa.edu. |
