- Preschoolers also increasingly affected by excessive screen time
Consultant Paediatric Eye Surgeon at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) in Colombo, Dr. Anusha Tennekumbura said that there has been an increase in the number of children seeking treatment for myopia (nearsightedness/shortsightedness).
The majority of the patients are of schooling age, but the LRH is seeing an increase in the number of preschool and upper nursery children seeking treatment also, she said while addressing a press conference held in this regard on Wednesday (20) and speaking to The Daily Morning thereafter.
“It’s irreversible and glasses are prescribed. Also, eight out of 10 patients suffer from headaches because of eye strain,” she emphasised.
Dr. Tennekumbura said that they observed this increase after the Covid-19 pandemic, where a majority of education started to be conducted online.
She pointed out that according to recent scientific studies, increased screen time and the lack of exposure to natural light resulting from less time spent outdoors are what is causing the increase in nearsightedness. Less time spent outdoors is an after effect of urbanisation, where children are increasingly confined to houses and apartments, she further elaborated.
Dr. Tennekumbura said: “Unfortunately, Sri Lanka does not have its own national guidelines on recommended child screen time use.” But she added that they, as medical professionals, follow the guidelines recommended by the American Association for Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), and the World Health Organisation.
The AAPOS guidelines are: For children under two years of age, no screen time outside of video phone time, and for children that are two- to five-years-old, to limit screens to one hour a day. They also recommend the 20/20/20 rule to prevent eye strain, where while using a device, every 20 minutes, the user cum viewer should look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Dr. Tennekumbura said that parents must encourage children to play outdoors. “At least one hour of daily outdoor activities,” she added.
According to studies, 30% of the world population is shortsighted with that number expected to grow to 50% by 2050.