Kiddipedia
Did you know that one in five Australian kids currently experience an undetected eye problem in some form* BUT a whopping 44% of children don’t have an eye examination before their ninth birthday**? Not catching eye problems early can be a severe setback for your child both academically and socially.
Healthy Harold, the much-loved Aussie children’s icon, has partnered with leading eye care retailer OPSM to teach parents and their kids about eye health and myopia. Myopia, known as short-sighted or near-sighted, will often enable children to see clearly at short distances, however they will not be able to see distant objects as clearly. This is due to light being focused in front of the retina.
There are a number of signs to look out for in your child including distance vision becoming blurred, moving closer to the TV, reduced performance at school, complaints of headaches, tired eyes, and squinting eyes.
We asked Peter Murphy, OPSM’s Director of Eyecare and Community, his tips on how to minimise the progression of myopia in children.
Peter’s tips on how to minimise the progression of myopia in children
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Schedule an appointment with your local OPSM
As a priority, book in regular eye examinations for your child based on their eye health needs. Speak with your optometrist about any symptoms you have noticed. In an ideal world, you want to detect the condition prior to your child starting school, and remedy as required.
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We all scream for screen time.
Introducing restrictions on screen time for your family is important. For necessary screen time, put reminders on your device to take a short break every 20 minutes. Place any other materials you need to look at, at the same distance as your screen to minimise the need for your eyes to readjust. Blink frequently, and if screen time is excessive, look into ordering anti-reflective coating on your glasses to minimise glare.
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Peter suggests, “giving the eyes regular breaks using the ‘20/20/20 rule’
After every 20 minutes of screen time, shift your eyes to look at an object around 20 metres away, for at least 20 seconds. The ideal addition to this practice would be to take regular breaks throughout the day by getting outside and going for a stroll.”
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Time for play!
Encourage interactive play with your child from a young age. From stacking building blocks to colouring in, this will help improve your child’s visual skills, and visually-guided eye-hand-body coordination, fine motor skills and visual perceptual abilities.
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Keep an eye on your child.
Look out for any delays in your child’s development as this may indicate a vision problem. This could include difficulty with the recognition of colours, shapes, letters, and numbers. It is also important to be aware of the presence of vision problems like crossed eyes (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia).
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Protect your protege.
Buy the proper safety equipment for your child’s activities. From sports to science, it is crucial your children have the correct equipment for these activities. Don’t forget about protecting from things you can’t physically see – like UV rays!
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Fun in the sun.
Make time for outdoor play with your children. Focus on activities that promote hand-eye coordination. This could include throwing and catching a ball, or bike riding
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Healthy habits.
Your eyes are big fans of food rich in antioxidants and omega oils. Ensure your child’s diet includes foods with these nutrients weekly. Suggestions include salmon, fruit (particularly berries), leafy green vegetables, and eggs.
Statistic references:
*https://goodvisionforlife.com.au/your-vision/children/
You may also like to read:
A focus on child myopia. What can I do to help my child?
Physical health, vision and screen time: not such great playmates!
