Study finds advanced vision testing system highly effective in detecting deficits in pre-verbal children

Clinical results of a new pediatric vision test, the Enfant™ Pediatric Vision Testing System, show a 97 percent sensitivity in detecting vision deficits in children as young as six months of age, according to a study published in the December 2004 issue (Volume 8, Number 6) of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS).

The Enfant, a non-invasive, child-friendly, medical device that tests for visual deficits using Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) technology, records the brain's response to light and can detect vision problems, such as amblyopia, early in a child's life when these conditions are correctable.

According to John W. Simon, M.D., chief of pediatric ophthalmology at the Lions Eye Institute of Albany Medical Center, one of the five medical sites that participated in the Enfant Phase IV clinical trials now published said, "The device measures the health of the circuitry of the nerves (visual pathways) that send signals to the brain. The Enfant provides a series of sweeps of each eye and utilizes synchronized data collection to provide quick, objective analyses of the child's eyes to determine if there are any irregularities."

Each year, approximately 200,000 children in the United States are born with visual deficits, making this condition more common than other pediatric health issues. Dr. Simon stresses that early detection leads to better treatment, so a device like the Enfant, that accurately tests pre-verbal children, is a major step forward in improving children's vision health.