Expanded Early Childhood Vision Screening

Early childhood screening for visual deficits is essential for early detection and treatment and for prevention of amblyopia. However, the effectiveness of basic screening tests performed in a public health setting is unclear. In Israel, children receive free preventive health care from birth through age six in “maternal child health clinics” (tipat chalav), including a rudimentary vision exam, and first graders receive vision screening. Both are often limited to distance visual acuity (VA). We hypothesized that including additional basic exams is technically feasible and could identify children at risk for amblyopia better than VA alone.