InfantSEE: Economic disparities in invant vision across the USA

Data collected from the 2009 CDC-funded InfantSEE® Week Pilot Project identified a growing rate of causes for concern (need for follow-up care) in the visual health of the infant population across the country. Previous data displayed an overall cause for concern rate of one-in-ten; the 2009 data displayed an overall cause for concern rate of one-in-six. In addition, the pilot project identified significant connections between socio-economic income levels and increased rates of cause for concern in three specific categories (visual acuity, ocular motility and binocularity)

During the InfantSEE® Pilot Project, participating optometrists provide a one-time, no cost, comprehensive eye and vision assessment to infants in their first year of life. The goal of the InfantSEE® program is to provide an early health promotion and early identification to all infants across the country. The results of this pilot project indicated a strong relationship between lower household income levels and a higher prevalence rate of vision causes for concerns. In three identifiable vision categories: visual acuity, (p < 0.0023) ocular motility (p <0.0019), and binocularity (p< 0.0008) infants from lower household income levels (<$26,000) display higher rates of causes of concern than infants from higher levels of household income. (>$26,000)

Future outreach efforts should include high risk populations in various geographic and socio-economic locations across the country that ultimately provide early identification and health promotion activities for infants all across this country regardless of location or economic disparity. Future community planning and policy development should include early vision promotion programs.