InfantSee

Did you know that infants should receive their first eye exam by age 1? As an InfantSee partner, Hefner Eye Care and Optical Center provides one-time, comprehensive eye assessments to infants under age 1 at no cost. We want to be sure your child’s eyes are healthy and developing as they should be.

The InfantSee program is a national public awareness campaign that educates parents on the importance of infant eye care. Our office is one of 42 optometric practices across the Oklahoma City metro area that participates in InfantSee, and Dr. Hefner currently serves as the Oklahoma chair for the program. InfantSee was created by the American Optometric Association and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. All optometrists who participate in the program provide one free, comprehensive eye examination to infants between the ages of six to 12 months.

Success Stories

Bristow, Oklahoma

When optometrist Kathleen Elliot performed a routine eye exam on one of her six-year-old patients, she discovered a cancerous tumor on the boy’s optic nerve. What made this diagnosis even harder for Kathleen was that the boy was her nephew.

The kind of tumor Carter had is almost always fatal, so Kathleen immediately made calls to a pediatric ophthalmologist who examined Carter and confirmed that the tumor was cancerous. Carter’s records were then sent to a retinal specialist in Philadelphia, who found that the tumor, though once cancerous, had outgrown the blood supply and turned into dead tissue.

Carter’s family felt they experienced a true miracle, as Kathleen said it’s almost impossible for a tumor like Carter’s to just stop developing.

Like other doctors affiliated with InfantSee, Kathleen hopes parents understand that a traditional screening for children is not enough. In fact, Carter had an eye screening at school several months before his appointment with Kathleen, and the tumor was completely missed. He also showed no symptoms of the tumor and had no vision problems whatsoever. Only an extensive exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist could have discovered Carter’s tumor.