Vision Screening

Vision screening should be a routine part of every primary care visit, with physical examination from birth and formal acuity testing from 3 years on. Elements of the physical examination include inspection, red reflex evaluation, corneal light reflection, cover-uncover test. Instrument-based testing can begin at 1 year of age until chart-based acuity testing is possible from 3 years on. Amblyopia, which results in permanent vision loss, is preventable with early detection—before 5 years of age.