Looking into your child’s bright, clear eyes is every parent’s greatest happiness. However, in today’s world where screens are ubiquitous, these “windows to the soul” are facing unprecedented challenges. The trend of myopia occurring at younger ages and at a higher incidence rate makes “how to protect children’s eyes” an urgent issue for every family.
I. Current Situation and Warning: Children’s Eyes are Sending Out “SOS Signals”
Let’s look at a real case:
Case: 8-year-old Xiaoxuan needed to attend online classes during the pandemic, so his parents provided him with a tablet. After class, Xiaoxuan often played games and watched videos on the tablet. Six months later, his parents noticed that he always squinted when watching TV and couldn’t see the blackboard clearly at school. After an ophthalmologist’s examination, Xiaoxuan was diagnosed with 200 degrees of myopia, and his prescription rapidly worsened over the following year.
“We see many children like Xiaoxuan in our outpatient clinic every day,” points out Professor Li Li, Chief Physician of Ophthalmology at Beijing Tongren Hospital. “Children’s eyes are still developing. Prolonged close-range use of the eyes can lead to continuous tension and spasm of the ciliary muscle, resulting in irreversible axial myopia. Once this occurs, the degree of myopia usually increases by 50-100 degrees per year until the end of puberty.”
A research report from the World Health Organization also shows that China has the highest rate of myopia among teenagers in the world. Protecting children’s eyesight is not just a matter of individual health, but also concerns the future of the nation.
II. Comprehensive Eye Protection Action: Expert Advice, Parental Implementation
Protecting children’s eyes requires a multi-pronged approach, including lifestyle habits, eye-use environment, and regular checkups, to form a solid defense.
1. Embrace Nature, “Bathe” Your Eyes in Sunlight—The Most Economical and Effective “Medicine”
Expert Recommendation: “Ensuring at least 2 hours of outdoor activity every day is the internationally recognized most effective way to prevent myopia.” —Professor Yang Zhikuan, Deputy Head of the Optometry Group of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association
Why? Outdoor natural light stimulates the retina to release dopamine, a substance that effectively prevents the eyeball from elongating during development, thus preventing the onset and progression of myopia. The sunlight doesn’t need to be very strong; even on a cloudy day, the outdoor light intensity is sufficient for protection.
Parents can do the following:
Encourage children to leave the classroom during breaks and play in the hallway or on the playground.
After school, let them play outside for an hour before coming home to do their homework.
Schedule more outdoor family activities on weekends, such as picnics in the park, cycling, or hiking.
Children today are less physically active than in the past. When taking children outdoors, parents should prepare more games that interest them, such as badminton, soccer, basketball, jump rope, and beanbag toss. Many games can be developed using these tools to keep things interesting. It’s best to invite a few friends to join in and encourage active participation.
2. Develop Scientific Eye Habits – Reducing the Burden on Eyes
Experts recommend: “Follow the ’20-20-20′ rule: for every 20 minutes of close-up work, look up at an object 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for at least 20 seconds.” – American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Guidelines
Parents can do the following:
Maintain Distance and Posture: When reading and writing, follow the “one foot, one inch, one fist” principle: eyes one foot (about 33 cm) away from the book, chest one fist away from the edge of the table, and fingers holding the pen one inch away from the pen tip. When using electronic devices, the center of the screen should be below eye level.
Controlling Screen Time: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children aged 2-5 should not spend more than one hour a day on screens, and this should be done under parental supervision. For school-aged children, screen time for recreational activities should be strictly limited. Children become addicted to electronic devices more often because they find other activities boring, and therefore lose interest in them. Parents can explore the mysteries and fun of various things with their children to make things less tedious. This will require a lot of time and energy from parents, but if you persevere, you will reap unexpected rewards—it’s probably a case of being tired but happy! Haha, just some advice from a mother, for your reference only!
Ensuring Adequate Light: When studying, both the main room light and desk lamp should be turned on simultaneously, providing even, glare-free light. Avoid using your eyes in excessively bright or dim environments.
Providing Sufficient Light: When studying, both the main room light and desk lamp should be on simultaneously, ensuring even lighting without glare. Everyone understands the principles above, but putting them into practice often yields less result than expected. This requires patience and attentiveness. Parents should constantly monitor and remind their children when they are studying or using electronic devices. Over time, I believe this will help children develop good eye habits, which will definitely benefit their eye health.
3. Balanced Diet and Sufficient Sleep – The Eye’s “Nutritional Supply Station”
Expert Advice: “Eye health depends on specific nutrients, such as Vitamin A, lutein, and Omega-3 fatty acids. They act like a ‘protective shield’ for the eyes.” – Renowned nutritionist Wang Lei
What Parents Can Do:
Eat More “Eye-Protecting Foods”:
Dark Green Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, kale (rich in lutein, which filters harmful blue light).
Yellow Fruits and Vegetables: Corn, carrots, pumpkin (rich in zeaxanthin and beta-carotene).
Deep-Sea Fish: Salmon, tuna (rich in Omega-3, beneficial for retinal health).
Eggs, Dairy, and Liver: Supplement Vitamin A and prevent night blindness.
Maintain a regular sleep schedule: Elementary school students should sleep 10 hours a day, and junior high school students 9 hours. Sleep is a crucial period for eye relaxation and repair. Based on my observations of children around me, insomnia is a particularly common problem among them. If they can’t sleep, 10 hours or 8 hours are meaningless. As parents, we should pay attention to our children’s mental health, find the root cause of their insomnia, and work together to solve it. From experience, I’ve found that getting children enough exercise can also improve their sleep quality!
4. Establish a visual health record – a preventative “scout”
Expert advice: “We recommend establishing a refractive development record for children from age 3, with a comprehensive eye exam every 6-12 months.” – Professor Li Li
What parents can do:
Don’t wait until your child says they can’t see clearly before taking them for an eye exam. Regular cycloplegic refraction can distinguish between true and false myopia and accurately determine the child’s hyperopia reserve (the “capital” against myopia).
If you notice your child squinting, tilting their head, rubbing their eyes, or looking at things too closely, seek medical attention immediately.
III. Clarifying Misconceptions: These “Eye Protection” Methods Are Unreliable
Can eye-protection lamps prevent myopia? No. Good eye-protection lamps can only provide a comfortable lighting environment and reduce eye strain, but they cannot prevent myopia caused by prolonged close-range eye use.
Does eating more pork liver improve eyesight? Pork liver is rich in vitamin A, and moderate consumption is beneficial. However, it is a detoxification organ and may contain heavy metals, so it is not advisable to consume it frequently or in large quantities. It is safer to obtain vitamin A from fruits and vegetables.
Will wearing glasses increase myopia? This is a major misconception! Wearing glasses with the correct prescription allows the eyes to see clearly and comfortably, which actually helps relieve eye strain and slows down the progression of myopia. Without glasses, children will over-accommodate to see clearly, which may accelerate the development of myopia.
Conclusion: Protecting children’s eyes is a “long-term battle” that requires patience and wisdom. There are no shortcuts; it relies on consistent, day-to-day effort: more outdoor running, less screen time; more posture reminders, less late-night indulgence. Let us join hands, using scientific principles and warm companionship, to protect the clear and bright world of our children, ensuring that this “window to the soul” forever reflects the infinite beauty of the future.