American College of Nurse-Midwives Endorses American Optometric Association InfantSEE® Program
WASHINGTON, DC (May 2, 2006) –The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), the oldest women's health care organization in the U.S., announced its endorsement today of InfantSEE®, a public health program of the American Optometric Association aimed at the earliest possible diagnosis of a potential eye and vision problems in children through a no-cost assessment by an optometrist. The InfantSEE® program, launched last June in partnership with The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., involves the voluntary efforts and donated expertise of more than 7,000 participating Doctors of Optometry in all 50 states. Under this program President Jimmy Carter is the Honorary Chairman of InfantSEE® and is serving as the national spokesman.
“The mission of ACNM is to promote the health and well-being of women and infants within their families and communities,” said Lisa Summers, CNM, DrPH, Director of Professional Services for ACNM. “As primary care providers with a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and health education, midwives can be particularly effective supporters of the InfantSEE® program. The program provides families with a complement to the well-baby care each child deserves,” added Dr. Summers.
“Optometry is proud to be working closely with the American College of Nurse-Midwives to ensure that no child will be plagued by a preventable eye or vision problem,” said Dori Carlson, O.D. and member of the American Optometric Association’s Board of Trustees. “ACNM’s support of InfantSEE® will educate more parents about the importance of early eye care for children.”
Congressional leaders have welcomed InfantSEE® as a valuable public health program. “InfantSEE® is about informing and helping parents to take steps to safeguard a child’s vision. I commend the American Optometric Association and the American College of Nurse-Midwives for their cooperative efforts to improve the health and well being of all Americans, particularly our youngest and most vulnerable children,” said Rep. John Boozman, O.D. (R-AR), a Doctor of Optometry serving in Congress. “I particularly want to thank the thousands of optometrists and nurse midwives who have committed to working together to achieve the objectives of the InfantSEE® initiative and do all they can to bring much-needed eye and vision care services to communities where they are needed.”
Although infants cannot respond verbally, the first year of life is an ideal time to conduct an extensive eye assessment. Not only is this a critical time for eye and vision development, but generally children at this age do not yet fear doctor visits and find the assessment painless and often enjoyable.
As part of the national launch, former President Carter, who serves as honorary national chair and spokesman for InfantSEE®, issued a call-to-action through public service announcements (PSA), which educate parents about InfantSEE® and urge them to take advantage of the program. The PSAs cite his personal experience regarding his grandchildren’s eye problems. His granddaughter was diagnosed and treated as a toddler for amblyopia, often referred to as lazy eye, a leading cause of vision loss in people younger than 45, which will affect one in 30 children. His grandson’s amblyopia was not identified until grade school and may never be fully corrected.
To learn more about InfantSEE®, call toll-free (888) 396-EYES (3937) or visit www.infantsee.org.
About the American Optometric Association
American Optometric Association doctors of optometry are highly qualified, trained doctors, on the frontline of eye health and vision care, who examine, diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the eye. In addition to providing eye and vision care, optometrists play a major role in an individual's overall health and well being by detecting systemic diseases. Doctors of optometry have the skills and training to provide more than two-thirds of all primary eye care in the United States. The American Optometric Association represents more than 34,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians in nearly 6,500 communities across the country. For more information, visit www.aoa.org.
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