3-D movie viewer may spot eye problems

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 04 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Taking your kids to see Spy Kids 3-D may serve as a diagnostic experience.

If a child wearing 3-D glasses (of paper and colored plastic film) can't see three-dimensional objects on the screen, he or she may be suffering from a vision disorder.

So says Robert Lederman, a Jerusalem optometrist who has looked into the matter. A fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, Lederman says that five to seven percent of children cannot see 3-D at a distance, and a greater percentage struggle with seeing 3-D up close.

'In order for someone to experience 3-D effects, their eyes need to work together properly. If the movie does not look three-dimensional through the special glasses, or if it appears three-dimensional but the viewer experiences eyestrain or headaches, a vision problem might be present.'

The importance of seeing in 3-D extends beyond the movie theater, he continues.

'Any activity requiring depth perception or hand-eye coordination such as riding a bike, climbing stairs or even pouring milk on cereal can be affected if a child has problems seeing 3-D. This can have a profound negative impact on a child's ability to learn.'

There are a variety of vision problems that can cause difficulty with 3-D vision. Children with amblyopia ('lazy eye') or strabismus ('cross eye') find it almost impossible to see 3-D.

Children with convergence insufficiency - a condition that inhibits one's ability to keep both eyes focused correctly on a close target - may also have trouble, Lederman says.

Asked to comment, Dr. Suzie Ronen, a senior Shaare Zedek Medical Center ophthalmologist, said she was unaware of the movie, but that testing for 3-D vision is standard when children's eyes are examined. But she added that it would be very difficult to get accurate results in a child under five.

A TRAUMA EXPERIENCE

Seven senior physicians and a trauma nurse from Sunnybrook Medical Center in Toronto spent time in Jerusalem during an orthopedic trauma exchange program with Hadassah University Medical Center in Ein Kerem.

Organized by Hadassah orthopedic surgery department head Prof. Meir Liebergall and Dr. Rami Mosheiff (head of the hospital's orthopedic trauma service), the exchange was sponsored by Canadian Hadassah-WIZO.

The eight Canadians delivered a series of research lectures at Hadassah, went on surgical rounds with their Israeli counterparts, and exchanged experiences and knowledge with Hadassah experts. The Canadians and Israelis brainstormed about paving the way for future collaboration in clinical work and research.

Sunnybrook was one of the first North American hospitals to promote the idea that treating trauma victims during the first 'golden hour' after injury could save many lives and reduce the risk of disability. Hadassah's trauma center, one of the most experienced in the world, has treated many victims of terror attacks and road accidents.

A EUREKA IDEA

How do you increase parents' willingness to bring their babies in for vaccination? A researcher at Saint Louis University in the US has thought of a novel way.

Dr. Matthew Kreuter, a public health expert at the Missouri university, created customized, computer-generated calendars with photos of their baby affixed on dates of upcoming immunizations.

The research, which appears in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found that parents who are given such photo calendars with the dates of upcoming immunizations clearly marked are more likely to have their children vaccinated than those who don't receive calendars.

At the end of the nine-month enrollment period, 82% of the babies whose parents received the 'ABC Immunization Calendar' were up to date with their immunization schedule.

However, among families that did not receive calendars, only 65% of the children were up to date. In recent years, immunization rates in the City of St. Louis have ranged from 26% to 50%.

The study was funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the calendar received a national award from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

'Getting babies immunized is very important for families and the community. But it's also difficult for many parents because of challenges with transportation, busy work schedules and finding child care for their other children. We want to reward their efforts with this unique reminder to keep them coming back over time,' Kreuter said.

'The calendars served as an incentive,' Kreuter noted. The calendars also included useful information such as the phone number of the health center, the names and birthdays of the baby, his or her siblings and the parent. The calendar also contains personalized age-specific recommendations for preventive services, as well as home safety and general parenting tips.