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Dear NEHEP Partners,
August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, which makes it a great time to spread the word about pediatric vision care with our summer newsletter. Early detection and prompt treatment of eye conditions that start in childhood are foundational for maximizing vision throughout an individual’s lifetime. Explore this issue’s resources and tips for healthy vision and share them with the parents and caregivers in your community.
We also want to thank everyone who helped promote the 2025 Eye on the Future teen video contest. With your support, we received over 120 submissions, and we’re excited to share the winning videos with you. Now in its fourth year, Eye on the Future video contest entrants never fail to impress us with their creativity, curiosity, and ingenuity. Be sure to watch these young scientists’ videos and get inspired.
Best regards,
Kathryn DeMott
Acting Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)
National Eye Institute
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See the 2025 Eye on the Future winners
Four talented students have been named grand prize winners of NEI’s 2025 Eye on the Future teen video contest. The contest aims to showcase talented young people interested in science. To enter the contest, high school students submitted a short video exploring science in their world, science in action, or science in their future. Winners were selected based on the accuracy of the scientific context, relevance, creativity, and their ability to engage viewers.
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| Children’s Vision and Eye Patching Educational Resources | Elio, the main character in the Disney/Pixar film released June 20, wears an eye patch. In response to the opportunity to raise awareness, Prevent Blindness developed new resources for families about eye patching and children’s vision. These include a new webpage, infographic, and the Focus on Children’s Vision video series featuring children who wear or have worn eye patches, along with insights from Sandra Block, O.D., D.O.S, president of the World Council of Optometry. |
| New ASRS Video: "Retina Specialists – Helping You See for a Lifetime" | Babies who are born prematurely or who weigh less than 3 pounds at birth are at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which can cause vision loss. To help parents and professionals support children with ROP, Prevent Blindness offers educational materials in English and Spanish with information on the causes, treatment, and more. | | Learn about the different types of childhood glaucoma | In BrightFocus Foundation’s new Glaucoma Chat podcast, Javaneh Abbasian, M.D., associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania/Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses the different types of childhood glaucoma, including primary congenital, infantile, and juvenile glaucoma. She also discusses the role of genetics and associated systemic diseases, trauma-induced cases, and diagnosis and treatment. |
| Protect kids’ eyes throughout their life | As children grow, their eyes change quickly. Paying careful attention to their eye health is a good way to catch problems early, while their eyes are still developing. To help, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) spotlights “20 Things to Know About Children’s Eyes and Vision” — and a few eye problems parents and caregivers should never ignore. | | |
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An Eye Health Information Tool Kit for Parents and Caregivers
The toolkit from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) and the National Head Start Association provides parents and caregivers with the information, suggested actions, and assistance they need to be empowered partners in their children’s vision and eye health, as well as their own.
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| Explore the Future of Retina at ASRS 2025 | Registration and abstract submissions are now open for the 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS)—July 30–August 2, 2025, in Long Beach, California. Experience a diverse program of rapid-fire podium talks, investigator-led surgical innovations, the new ASRS Surgical Retina Summit, and hands-on labs in the Experience Center. | |
| Other Events and Resources | |
August 15-17: The American Academy of Ophthalmology will host the Global Ophthalmology Summit in Portland, OR. Attendees can build networks and explore collaborations to further enhance global eye care.
Resource: The American Optometric Association published a resource on vision health in school-aged children highlighting the vision competencies needed for school.
Resource: The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute’s new article shares the latest treatments for pediatric myopia — and advice for parents of children with myopia.
Resource: The National PTA offers this article highlighting NEI’s 10 tips to keep kids’ eyes healthy.
The Eye Health Connection is a newsletter developed with the input of NEHEP Partners and shared with the community of NEHEP’s 60+ partner organizations. The links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only, they do not constitute an endorsement by the National Eye Institute or its employees.
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