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MARLBOROUGH, MA, August 12, 2008 – In conjunction with Back to School time, Optos and over 1,000 of its customers throughout North America are encouraging parents to schedule a comprehensive eye exam that includes the optomap® Retinal Exam for their children. Given that 80 percent of all learning is through vision, it is vital that children of all ages have their eyes checked regularly to ensure that their eyes are healthy.
According to Prevent Blindness America, more than 12 million school-age children in America, or one in four, have some form of vision problem, yet only 21 percent of preschool age children are screened for vision problems and only 14 percent of children receive a comprehensive eye exam before entering kindergarten or first grade. Many professionals play a vital role in protecting our children’s vision including eye care professionals, primary care providers and school nurses.
“All children, even those with no signs of problems, should have their eyes checked regularly,” said Jacqueline Campisi, OD, Visions Sight and Learning Center, Mystic, CT. “If left untreated vision problems can worsen and lead to other serious issues as well as impact a child’s ability to learn, their personality and adjustment in school.”
Optos’ commitment to children stems from its origin – the optomap® Retinal Exam is the brainchild of Douglas Anderson, founder of Optos, whose son lost sight in one eye at age five due to an undetected retinal detachment. After this tragedy, Anderson developed a system that not only could capture an unprecedented wide view of the retina, the back of the eye, but that was also patient friendly, particularly for children who tend to be more difficult to examine.
“The link between eyesight and learning is compelling. Eye exams for school-aged children are essential to help maintain their overall health,” said Douglas Anderson, Founder, Optos. “Eye exams not only identify eye and vision related conditions but can potentially detect systemic indicators of overall health and wellness.”
Consider these facts:
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only one in three children in America has received eye care services before the age of six.
- The CDC also states that impaired vision can affect a child’s neurological and physical development by potentially limiting the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed.
- According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), 60 percent of children who are identified as ‘problem learners’ have undetected vision problems.
- The best way to protect a child’s eyes is through professional eye examinations, beginning shortly after birth, at six months of age, before entering school (age four or five) and periodically throughout the school years.
About Optos
Optos plc is a leading and rapidly growing medical technology company for the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of devices that image the retina, the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye. Optos' platform technology is the Panoramic200 Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope device - known as the P200. In a quarter of a second the P200 device produces a high resolution image of up to 200 degrees or approximately 82 percent of the retina in a single capture. The image - branded the optomap® Retinal Exam - provides eye care practitioners with clinically useful information that facilitates the early detection of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Retinal imaging can also indicate evidence of non-eye or systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.
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Optos is incorporated in Scotland under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number SC139953. The Company maintains its Registered Office at Queensferry House, Carnegie Business Campus, Dunfermline, Scotland KY11 8GR United Kingdom.
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