(PRESS RELEASE) ST. LOUIS, MO — InfantSEE, a program that provides no-cost, comprehensive eye and vision health assessments for infants, concludes the year with 172,000 assessments since the initiative’s inception in 2005.
Managed by The American Optometric Association (AOA) Foundation and backed from the beginning, for 19 years, by AOA visionary supporter Johnson and Johnson, InfantSEE is a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child’s quality of life. Currently, there are more than 4,000 InfantSEE providers, with over 10 percent being recent graduates.
“In 2025, InfantSEE will celebrate its 20th anniversary. As the AOA’s first public health program for infants, InfantSEE truly has so much to celebrate,” said Dr. Jennifer Zolman, O.D., chair of the AOA InfantSEE and Children’s Vision Committee. “From preserving comprehensive examinations as a part of the Essential Benefit package of the Affordable Care Act to creating guidelines for infant examinations, InfantSEE has been instrumental in elevating our communities, our country and the future of eye care.”
2024 Year in Review
The AOA and the AOA Foundation share a commitment to closing the gap in children’s eye health and vision care and InfantSEE assessments have helped prevent a lifetime of vision complications, ranging from amblyopia and strabismus to sight-threatening retinoblastomas. Since the program’s inception in 2005, almost 15,000 children have started their journey to improved quality of life after receiving a diagnosis from a participating InfantSEE optometrist.
The program has garnered support from parents, health care providers and policymakers, highlighting its importance in early childhood care.
“The earliest years of a person’s life are so precious and deserve our attention – not just as parents, but as community leaders and humans, which is why InfantSEE providers are so essential. Their care and commitment demonstrate our valuable role in this country’s health care system,” said Dr. Zolman.
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InfantSEE continues to increase public awareness efforts through their grassroots InfantSEE State Advocate Program, which pairs an O.D. representative in each of the 50 states with their state affiliate.
InfantSEE also hosted a series of events, including in-person InfantSEE workshops at Optometry’s Meeting, Midwestern Regional Conference, and Western Regional Conference plus three virtual events on EyeLearn. Each event features live exam demonstrations on an infant to show students best practices. All events were generously supported by Johnson and Johnson.
Continuing to Lead the AOA’s Pediatric Initiative
AOA’s National Pediatric Eye Health and Vision Mobilization is an initiative that works to remedy the pandemic’s acceleration of screen time and lack of access to community resources found in a traditional school environment. InfantSEE is a critical effort to close that gap in care and advance the health of the nation’s future generations.
“Pediatric eye health and vision care has long been a critical issue championed by the AOA and doctors of optometry. Harnessing InfantSEE’s over 20 years of success, the AOA will continue to build on these efforts to prevent a lifetime of vision complications and improve the quality of life for the future leaders of our country,” said Dr. Steven T. Reed, O.D., AOA President.
Nurturing Vision Health in Children Webinar
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On January 23, InfantSEE will host a webinar, Nurturing Vision Health in Children, at 7 p.m. CT. Featuring an in-depth exploration of best practices for conducting eye examinations on infants, the interactive webinar will offer participants effective techniques they can use to enhance their comfort and competence when caring for this age group.
The webinar is open to doctors of optometry, students and paraoptometric professionals. To register in EyeLearn, click here.
Please direct any questions to Molly Brown.
Participation and Support
Participating InfantSEE optometrists provide no-cost eye and vision assessments regardless of income or insurance coverage. The AOA Foundation thanks all participating doctors for their dedication to the program and the life-changing care they provide every day.
To learn more about becoming an InfantSEE provider, click here.
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The AOA Foundation is committed to raising awareness about the importance of eye health, increasing access to vision care, and providing support to doctors of optometry and students in need. To support InfantSEE and other initiatives, consider making an end-of-year tax-deductible donation.
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