Myopia, commonly known as near-sightedness, is not just a minor inconvenience—it’s a progressive eye disorder that can have far-reaching consequences for children’s vision, quality of life and overall eye health in later life.
Uncorrected myopia is the leading cause of distance vision impairment globally. In fact, recent publications estimates that by 2050, half the world population will have myopia. Research has also identified lifestyle factors such as increased near work and reduced natural outdoor light exposure as contributors to myopia progression in children.
RANZCO wants every parent, caregiver and educator to understand that myopia needs to be taken seriously.
Myopia isn’t just about blurry vision, it’s a progressive eye disorder that can impact your child’s vision, quality of life and overall eye health in later years.. It can start at any age in childhood and often worsens until the late teens. High myopia increases the risk of serious eye diseases like glaucoma, retinal detachment and macular disease.
Fortunately, there are now treatments available to slow down myopia progression, including special spectacle lenses, contact lenses and eye drops. Early intervention can make a significant difference in reducing the risk of them developing debilitating eye conditions later in life.
Parents concerned about their children’s vision should seek advice from a qualified eye health professional, such as an optometrist or GP. If needed, they can provide referrals to an ophthalmologist who can advise and treat more serious cases of high myopia.
Parents can also reduce the risks of myopia by modifying environmental factors, such as outdoor time and near work. Encouraging children to spend at least two hours per day outdoors in natural light (with UV protection) and minimising recreational near work can significantly reduce their risk of developing high myopia.
Of course, it’s also important to make sure children are protected from UV radiation while outdoors—this means wearing hats, sunscreen and close-fitting sunglasses that block both direct and indirect light. The choice of sunglasses is important—to protect against the harms of UV radiation both the lenses and frame need to block UV light.
This is particularly crucial in the morning and the afternoons when the sun is lower in the sky, not in the middle of the day as is commonly assumed. At that time, when the UV index is typically higher, the sun is overhead and not shining directly into the eyes. This means that parents should encourage their children to wear sunglasses whenever they are outside for extended periods.
RANZCO is keen to empower parents and caregivers with the knowledge and the tools to prevent myopia development so they can take steps to reduce the lifelong risk for their children of debilitating eye diseases.