Myopia in children: Tackling vision issues with suggestions by experts

Aren’t we all a little guilty of sharing our screens with kids at home, the moment they start pressuring us to play with them when we have truckloads of work to finish, or an assignment to submit, or dishes to wash? Well, reports now suggest that constant screen time that kids are exposed to, is causing myopia among children.

We got in touch with several experts in this field to share their experiences and to understand how to prevent myopia in children that are today surrounded with technology at homes, schools and everywhere they go.

Here's what they have to say:

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Dr. Neha Naiksatam, Consultant Pediatrician, Apollo Clinic in Koramangala said, “Many children are suffering from increasing rates of myopia due to the way they live in the present-day world. For instance, contemporary kids spend much of their time behind screens, which has led to the increased prevalence of short-sightedness among them. Also, most kids these days do not have time to play outside, so they don’t benefit from the natural sunlight which is required for good eyesight.”

Dr. Sweta Patel, Ophthalmologist, Aster Whitefield in Bangalore added, “Many factors play role in myopia among children like genetics, lack of exposure to natural light, limited outdoor activity, more digital screen time, prolonged near vision tasks. While genetics play a key role, environmental factors like spending less time outdoors and more time focused on near tasks like reading and excessive screen time are believed to be significant contributors. Exposure to blue light emitted from these devices might also be a risk factor.”

She added that kids are surrounded with technology these days but it would be ideal for kids with age less than two years to have no screen time. She said, “Exposure to natural light stimulates the release of dopamine in the retina, which may help inhibit the elongation of the eyeball associated with myopia. Creating opportunities for outdoor exploration, sports, and nature walks will foster a balanced lifestyle that supports healthy vision development.”

Dr. Neha agreed that parental control over technology and screens of all kinds is super important. “Parents should only allow an hour of combined screening – such as on television sets, mobile phones, laptops, and iPads among others. Also, playing outdoors should be given a top preference. Make playing outdoors a part of their normal routine so that kids can play in the sun. Exposure to sun aids in controlling the size of eyeballs. It also interferes with the development of short-sightedness.”

Dr. Sweta added, “Limit the screen time and ensure the child gets frequent breaks while watching a screen. Follow the 20-20-20 rule, where a child takes breaks every 20 minutes to focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This can help relax eye muscles during screen time.”