PARENTS and guardians are advised not to expose their children to the use of digital gadgets before the age of two, Dr Chin Pik Kee, a paediatric ophthalmologist with Sunway Medical Centre said. She said only once they reach that age should they be allowed the use of digital gadgets, and that too not by themselves but accompanied by parents or guardians instead of without supervision.
This is following an increase in cases of myopia (short-sightedness) among children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when movement control restrictions were implemented and school lessons were conducted online.
“Apart from genetics, myopia is also caused by environmental factors such as urbanisation of rural communities and the modern lifestyle.
These changes result in activities of living shifting indoors and increasing amount of time doing near work (which require focusing on objects within arm’s reach from the eyes),” Dr Chin said in a statement recently.
Dr Chin suggested recreational screen time be limited to two hours daily for children below the age of 10, with breaks in between. She said this is important as children need time for creative play, physical activities and outdoor time, all of which are important for holistic growth and development of a child.
“Children who spend at least two hours outdoors daily are less likely to develop myopia. They also start to need glasses for myopia at an older age, if they need them at all,” Dr Chin said.
She said some occurrence may be unavoidable, for instance, the usage of computers or tablets for classes and homework However, she said there are ways to help reduce the symptoms by instilling good habits among the children, including looking away from the screen and into the distance every 20 minutes Besides this, she said other steps that can be taken include remembering to blink often, sitting with a good posture and taking short breaks at regular intervals.
“And if the child already spends a lot of screen time for studies, it is sensible to reduce recreational screen time accordingly.
At the same time, other proactive steps that parents can take for their children include eye screenings, providing them with a healthy and balanced diet and educating them on eye safety and prevention of injuries, such as from sharp objects or scratches from pets.
Dr Chin, however, cautioned that taking dietary supplements in the absence of a deficiency does not improve vision. “Excessive intake of certain vitamins may even be harmful,” she said. – BERNAMA
