Pediatrics

Dr. Filar and Dr. Metoxen participate in an important and exciting healthcare program designed to support the growth and development of your child. InfantSEE is a nationwide public health initiative implemented through the American Optometric Association. Eye assessment is an important component of the infant wellness routine that America’s parents provide for their babies. It complements the routine wellness care that a baby receives at the pediatrician’s office by broadening the review of an infant’s vision and eye health status.

Under the InfantSEE program, participating doctors provide a one-time, no-cost eye assessment for infants twelve months of age or younger. This assessment will check developmental ocular health, alignment and ocular movement, and the refractive status of the infant's eyes. Dr. Filar supports this program because he believes that the proper development of a child’s visual system is essential to their future motional and academic well-being. For more information about the InfantSEE program, visit the American Optometric Association's website at www.infantsee.org. To make an InfantSEE appointment for your child under 1 year of age, please call our office at 743-5053.

Vision problems can elicit a wide range of signs and symptoms. Some, like eyestrain or blurred vision, can usually be attributed directly to a vision dysfunction. Others, such as poor attention span at school, clumsiness in sports, or reduced productivity at work, may not immediately be recognized as possible signs of a vision problem. The following is a listing of common signs or symptoms of vision problems that indicate the need for a comprehensive vision exam:

• Frequent headaches or eye strain

• Blurring of distance or near vision, particularly after reading or other close work

• Avoidance of close work or other visually demanding tasks

• Turning of an eye in or out, up or down (even if only briefly)

• Tendency to cover or close one eye, or favor the vision in one eye

• Double vision

• Difficulty following a moving target

• Dizziness or motion sickness

• Poor reading comprehension

• Difficulty copying from one place to another

• Loss of place, repetition, and/or omission of words while reading

• Difficulty changing focus from distance to near and back

• Excessive blinking or squinting

• Can respond orally but cannot get the same information down on paper

• Letter and word reversals

• Difficulty judging sizes and shapes

• Turns or tilts head to see

• Uses finger to read

• Poor hand-eye coordination,or bumps into things or drops things frequently