HB1055 Infant Eye Care Bill Purpose

This Bill legislates that doctors must offer parents an infant eye dilation and ophthalmoscopic exam before babies leave the hospital; and at the 6-8 week and 6-9 month well-baby exams. So, why is it necessary?  One in every 677 live births in the United States has a treatable eye disease or anomaly that will cause blindness unless detected early. As a rare cancer advocate, I have seen the horrible outcome of not having an adequate level of infant care. The omission of a standardized test with an ophthalmoscope, during well baby visits, leaves these children defenseless against diseases that cause blindness or even death.

When eye diseases; such as Coat's disease, congenital glaucoma, congenital cataracts, retinal degeneration, or optic atrophy are diagnosed early, the child has a better chance of keeping their visual acuity.  In the case of the dreaded eye cancer that effects infants - retinoblastoma - early diagnosis may help these children to avoid enucleation (surgical removal of the eye), the loss of their vision, or their very lives.

Many of the guidelines for hospital infant discharge and well-baby visits are formed by health insurance companies.  Since this simple test has not been added to their list of covered procedures for infants; many hospitals and physicians, responsible for your child's health, are not (and will not) include this in their examination of your child.  This bill would protect your child against this dangerous omission.  Health insurance companies and health maintenance providers would be required to add it to their list of covered expenses and health care providers and institutions would be mandated to do complete this very important examination of your infant's eyes.

As a cancer advocate, I have helped parents with children who have died from metastatic retinoblastoma.  We have been fighting for 4 years to get this bill passed in Florida against what we believe to be the legislative influence of the lobbyists. They are powerful, so we must be stronger. I don't want to lose another one of 'my' kids.

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