Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-02-13
54.770 Screened
Eye Testing Here
Gaining Momentum

cnllQ WlIn an eye ueIecl parents
that medical care is needed.
Part of the trouble is the psychological block
many parents have against having child wear
glasses. Another factor is the quick change pos
sible in children's vision.
A parent whose child has been given clean
slate by the eye doctor two months earlier is
going to be hard to convince that that child has
suddenly developed a defect in his vision.
However, the countys public health nurses,
under the supervision of DR.. Harold H. Mitchell,
administrator school health services and his nurs-
ing supervisor Marion w. Bashor are constantly
at work on this problem
Working with the nurses to educate the
parents and convince them of need for action are
the local doctors and the volunteer groups These
include the PTAs and service clubs like the Lions
Clubs and the Health Fund which pay for glasses
for children whose family cannot afford them.
The P-TAs through their health committees
also handle major portion of the screening pro-
gram under the supervision of the public health
nurses assigned to the schools.
This screening program is thorough one
with every child in the elementary schools, kinder
garten through sixth, being tested every year.
On the secondary level all seventh and tenth
grade students are tested each year plus any
referrals of suspected defects through the OBJ
servatons of the teachers.
Last year out of total of 54,779 students
tested the PTAs did 49, 491 and the nurses, IL 288
The nurses then retested 4,879 children and found
that 1898 needed referral to the parents for fur
Their medical check-ups.
Of these 1852 were new cases and 307 old
cases from last year that had not received atten-
ton. In the county public schools there were
5S99 children wearing glasses and 1897 children
with vision defects of some kind. This is II per
cent of the enrolment a normal number with
defects
The lighted Snellen Chart, the present screen
ing method used in the schools, represents care
full balancing between limited budget and the
need to help every child with vision defect.
A research project in st. Louis recently
showed that the Snellen Chart and the more
complicated Massachusetts, Vision Test produce
almost equal results. But the Snellen Chart costs
approximately S25 as compared to S125 for
Massachusetts Vision kit
Adding further tests would only increase
slightly the number of correct referrals for fur
Their medical care. At the same time the number
OF "overreferrals' would increase also. "Over
referrals" the children referred to the doctor
who do not really need additional eye care.
As pointed out earlier the health department.
considers the folIOw-up program that is, educat-
ing and convincing the parents of the need for
medical care, as its most important function.
Any increase in the workload of the already
shorthanded nursing staff would e2danger this
program. Until it has a full complement of
nurses for a complete follow-up program, the
health department will not recommend adding to
the present screening tests
In addition to the overall screening program
each year, teachers observations of certain symp-
toms are also carefully checked by the nurses
These symptoms include: complaints of head
ache, dizziness and blurred vision; certain condi.
tons such red eyelids, styes or watery eyes;
CIlNh r1Vhh @T~,
irr1tability during close work inattentiOn in
blackboard or map lessons, and any unusual be.
haviOr while reading.
complete list of these symptoms is included
in bulletin put out by the National Society for
the Prevention of Blindness. Every teacher and
all P-TA health committee members are given
copies of this booklet "a Guide for Eye Inspec-
ton and Testing Visual Acuity"
When the nurse is convinced that a child
needs medical attention, she sends letter to the
parents recommending that the child be taken
to the family eye specialist She does not stop
checking with the parents until she gets doctors
recommendation
The nurse then works with the teacher to
see that the doctors recommendations are car
rled out. If the child wears glasses, check is
made to see that they are used at the proper time
ana place. Best seating in the classroom for good
vision is also worked out with the teacher
In cases of severe trouble, the nurse works
with the board of education sight consultant. Mrs
l. r. P. Cochrane to see that the specially printed
books for partially seeing children are provided.
AS general rule the health department has
found that parents are willing to do the right
thing once they have been convinced of the need.
Undertaking all of these tasks are 81 public
health nurses assigned to specific elementary
schools up to four schools each. They are able
to spend one half day week the average at
each school.
In addition, 1S school nurses are assigned full
time to every junior and senior high except Car
yer and Lincoln which share nurse and PooIes.
vile and Damascus which have a public health
nurse one day a week. school nurse for the
last two schools has been requested in the bud
get for next year.