Forest Lane Pediatrics is excited to be able to provide our parents with a new and innovative way to screen for vision problems in young children. The Enfant ® Pediatric VEP Vision Testing System is a child-friendly, non-invasive medical device used to screen for vision deficits in pre-verbal children ages 6 months and older. This vision testing system is the most advanced vision-screening tool available, and we are thrilled that we are now able to provide this service for our patients. Best of all, the test is covered by most major insurance providers.

Each year in the United States 200,000 children are born with vision deficits, and of those children, 72% go undetected until the window for effective treatment has expired. Although vision assessment beginning at birth has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology, standard eye exams (remember the big “E”) are not adequate to assess vision in young children. These eye tests are dependent on the child recognizing letters or shapes and communicating them to the tester. Obviously, infants and toddlers are not able to do this, however, it is these children that we are most concerned about testing as early recognition and treatment of vision problems can prevent blindness.

The Enfant ® utilizes a technology called Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) to test for visual deficits, including amblyopia, optic nerve disorders, and refractive errors. VEP works very much like the hearing screen that is administered to babies in the hospital soon after they are born. Electrodes are placed on the scalp, and the infant is exposed to child-friendly animated characters and graphics. The computer is then able to capture the electrical activity occurring in the brain at the time the images are viewed and then evaluate the entire visual pathway from the lens of the eye to the visual cortex of the brain. If there is any disruption in the signals that the eye is transmitting to the brain, it will result in a failed test. Any failed test will result in a prompt referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist for further evaluation.

To schedule a vision screen, please call our Plano office during regular business hours at 972.526.0700 to schedule an appointment. For more information about this innovative technology, please refer to the following links:

Frequently Asked Questions

Enfant® Patient Brochure