Presently, one in four parents has a child who suffers from some magnitude of nearsightedness (myopia).

During my childhood years, once school was not in session, most of my days were spent outdoors. All the children in the neighborhood frequently gathered in a nearby field to played games, ride bikes, or just run around.

Today, things seem to be the opposite, especially in these times of increased screen time as the result of the expansion of remote learning. Most children are indoors, with their eyes glued to a smartphone, computer, or some other electronic device.

In an earlier article, I emphasized the importance of vision readiness, when it comes to learning success. Children are given regular vision screenings to assess their visual acuity for viewing near, middle, and far things. Since about 80% of all learning comes through visual pathways, learning success depends on the child having adequate vision readiness.

Did You Know?

Myopia or nearsightedness is one of the most common vision problems in childhood. Children who are nearsighted see things clearly when they are close up, but they struggle to distinctly identify things that are far away.

We are told that about 9% of children between the ages of five and seventeen are nearsighted. One Canadian study found that the prevalence of myopia increased from 6% in children aged six through eight to 28.9% by ages eleven through thirteen.

In the classroom, myopia makes it difficult for the child to see the board or the clock on the wall. The younger the child is when his vision begins to deteriorate, the more severe it tends to be in adulthood.

How Could Your Child Develop Myopia?

According to the researchers, all activities that involve prolonged near concentration, when performed frequently, can be a risk factor for the development and progression of myopia.

The frequency of screen time, prolonged exposure to blue light from electronic devices, as well as positioning the eyes too close to the screen, may all contribute to nearsightedness.

Our children spend hours staring at screens today. They have smartphones, tablets, iPads, mp3 players, Nintendo, and the list goes on. Frequent use of these devices poses a danger to your child’s eye health.

Even reading print books for extended periods of time causes eye strain and can damage your child’s vision.

Moderation is important for optimal eye health.

Can You Prevent Your Child From Acquiring Myopia?

Optometrists and researchers tell us that stopping the problem in childhood could reverse the current upward trend. Observe the following tips to improve your child’s eye health.

• Get your children to play outside as often as possible. Time spent outdoors was found to have a protective effect on children’s eyes. (The Canadian study found that 76 minutes per day resulted in a 50% reduction in myopia in children)
• Zero screen exposure to children 0-2 years.
• Take breaks between close-up work. (every 30 minutes is encouraged).
• Watch for warning signs – squinting, rubbing the eyes frequently, complaints of frequent headaches.
• Schedule vision screenings with an optometrist: by 6-9 months, 2-5 years and annually from 6 – 19 years.

Aside from being credited to genetic factors, nearsightedness can be associated with environmental causes.

So, get your child off the couch, out the door, and into the yard. Not only will he be smarter, leaner and stronger than children who engage in indoor activities, but his vision will also be better and he will be more adequately prepared for learning success.