More than one-third of children ages 3-5 have never had their eyes checked by a healthcare professional, according to new data from the CDC.
Researchers analyzed 2016-17 data on pediatric eye screenings from the National Health Interview Survey.
Three report findings:
- About 64 percent of children ages 3-5 had ever had their vision tested by a physician.
- Hispanic children were less likely to have their vision tested (58.6 percent) than white children (65.4 percent).
- Privately insured children were also more likely to have a vision test (66.7 percent), compared to publicly insured kids (61.2 percent) and uninsured children (43.3 percent).
The U.S. Preventives Service Task Force recommends that all children ages 3-5 receive a vision screening at least once to look for amblyopia, or a lazy eye, which can often be corrected if treated early.