DETROIT – We see it everywhere we go, children and adults alike sporting prescription glasses at an almost alarming rate and age.
Studies from the National Eye Institute show that nearly 42% of all Americans are nearsighted -- a staggering difference from the 25% of Americans in 1971. It is believed that screen time is a major factor in the health of young children’s eyesight and there are steps that parents can take to mitigate and prevent damage to their eyes.
Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge sat down with Dr Kim Le, a Pediatric Ophthalmologist at Henry Ford Health, to talk about the ongoing trend relating to eyesight and preventative measures to take.
“Kids are naturally farsighted,” Dr. Le said when asked about the trend, “And so when they are focusing up close, playing a game for hours a day, the brain says you know what, this is more important.”
Children are spending about half as much time outside as their parents did. Instead of letting their eyes focus on things in the distance, their eyes spend more time focusing on screens up close.
Studies show that sunlight is healthy for the eyes. Sunlight aids with the production of retinal dopamine, which helps eye growth regulation; for children with glasses, sunlight can help to slow the rate of change in their eyes. The process can be disrupted without that needed exposure to sunlight.
It is recommended that screen time be limited as much as possible and that children get two hours of outdoor play each day.
“I say no screen time for the first few years of life,” Dr. Le said about recommended screen time limitations, “From two to five [years], only up to one hour a day. Older than five, no more than two hours a day outside of school.”
It is recommended that when using screens, children should be at a distance rather than up close. If a child is using a screen up close, it’s better to limit use to 20 minutes at a time.
While screen time and outdoor time aren’t the only factors that contribute to a child’s eyesight or need for glasses. It is very important to maintain healthy lifestyle choices to reduce or even prevent the need for glasses for children.
More: Health news