What is it about?
Amblyopia is the most common cause of childhood blindness. It is treatable if detected early. Eye chart testing is helpful, but treatment would be even more successful if children at risk for amblyopia could be detected earlier. Analysis of pupil red reflex images take with special flash cameras in a dim room can find risk factors for amblyopia. Smartphones can produce red reflex images of children's pupils since the flash is near the lens. Leading pediatric ophthalmologists compared several smart phones with special "GoCheckKids" software apps and compared the processed results with thorough eye examinations of children with or without the potentially blinding condition called "amblyopia." The Nokia 1020 Smartphone was reliably able to detect children with risk factors for amblyopia- early enough so blindness can be treated and prevented.
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Why is it important?
Childhood blindness can be reduced if children receive effective early screening.
Perspectives
Several smart phones, loaded with specially designed software app "GoCheckKids" can help detect young children with amblyopia early enough for treatment to be effective.
Robert Arnold
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evaluation of a smartphone photoscreening app to detect refractive amblyopia risk factors in children aged 1–6 years, Clinical Ophthalmology, August 2018, Dove Medical Press,
DOI: 10.2147/opth.s171935.
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