Watch for initial myopia (blurred vision) symptoms occur in your child. Catch it early, actual nearsightedness is entirely preventable.
I am a behavioral ophthalmologist, soon retiring from a 40 year myopia rehab and prevention practice. I've seen a massive increase in myopia cases in young children in the past ten years.
You can PREVENT myopia in your child. It is very important that you keep them from spending too much time focused up close:
#1: Monitor your child's distance from books and screen:
At least 50cm is where you want to keep your child from any close-up materials. The closer the eye to the object, the more the ciliary (focusing) muscle in the eye is strained to keep sharp focus of the nearby object.
50cm! Enforce it until it becomes a habit.
#2: Limit ongoing close-up focus:
From school books, to computer games, to TV. A child can easily spend 6-8 hours a day close-up focused. This WILL result in myopia. Limit close-up time to 30 minutes at a time, if at all possible. Have breaks mean distance focus ... going outside, playing with moving objects, anything but a static focus on a close-up object.
Your kids DON'T need glasses. To keep an eye on their vision health, you can measure their vision strength at home, no optometrist visit necessary (and actually better if you do it yourself).
I may post more, time permitting, if there's interest in this topic.
I am a behavioral ophthalmologist, soon retiring from a 40 year myopia rehab and prevention practice. I've seen a massive increase in myopia cases in young children in the past ten years.
You can PREVENT myopia in your child. It is very important that you keep them from spending too much time focused up close:
#1: Monitor your child's distance from books and screen:
At least 50cm is where you want to keep your child from any close-up materials. The closer the eye to the object, the more the ciliary (focusing) muscle in the eye is strained to keep sharp focus of the nearby object.
50cm! Enforce it until it becomes a habit.
#2: Limit ongoing close-up focus:
From school books, to computer games, to TV. A child can easily spend 6-8 hours a day close-up focused. This WILL result in myopia. Limit close-up time to 30 minutes at a time, if at all possible. Have breaks mean distance focus ... going outside, playing with moving objects, anything but a static focus on a close-up object.
Your kids DON'T need glasses. To keep an eye on their vision health, you can measure their vision strength at home, no optometrist visit necessary (and actually better if you do it yourself).
I may post more, time permitting, if there's interest in this topic.