How to Take Care of Children's Eyes in a New Screen-Filled Normal

Contrary to all forecasts, we have already been in the school year for almost a month.

In a year in which we are learning about each step that we have to take next, the classes have started in person or alternating with the

Or, in some cases, they are taught entirely remotely.

Until further notice ... Whatever the case, we cannot deny that school is becoming more digital than ever.

And what we have left.

The classroom comes home through

platforms and classes

, tablets, computers and mobiles.

And all this impact also falls on the eyes of our little ones.

For this reason, the General Council of Colleges of Opticians-Optometrists (CGCOO) recalled on

held this past Thursday, the utmost importance of periodic reviews.

In the case of children, early detection of any alteration related to visual development is easier to prevent, correct or rehabilitate.

"At the beginning of the course, the visual demand is greater and it is convenient to know if your ocular system is prepared to face the working hours at a short distance without problems", says Victoria de Juan Herráez,

optometrist at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital and spokesperson for the CGCOO.

This is the reason why a visual examination is not only recommended in these times but it is essential, and much better now, that they have just started.

More information

• This is how electronic devices impact your child's brain

• Beatriz Millán: "The screens are totally expendable until at least seven years old"

• These are the keys to know if your child has vision problems

Visual problems in times of pandemic

At the end of last year, a CGCOO study revealed that 34% of the child population had vision problems.

And the pandemic has only made the situation worse.

In fact, according to a subsequent investigation by the Vision and Life association, it indicated that 57% of the population worsened their vision during confinement.

In children in particular, near, far and binocular vision has deteriorated.

The confinement at home, the lack of natural light, the sedentary lifestyle and the excessive (very excessive) use of screens have caused and are causing an increase in eye conditions, many of them, even, without parents being aware.

Among the most common visual problems of children, refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) stand out, which are eye disorders, in which the eye cannot focus images clearly, so children see everything blurry.

Myopia is one of the most common disorders.

It corresponds to the difficulty of seeing distant objects.

Experts argue that it is due to prolonged use of near vision, so it is not surprising that technology has had something to do with it.

A survey by the Official College of Opticians and Optometrists of Catalonia (COOOC), carried out throughout Spain, concludes that about 30% of children under 8 years of age use the mobile phone every day, which means that their graduation in myopia has been increased by 1.75 diopters in the last five years, this is eight tenths more than people between 17 and 27 years old.

Under normal conditions, lazy eye, strabismus, red eye and conjunctivitis are also common conditions, of which a certain relationship with covid-19 is being studied.

While some research suggests that the virus can infect the conjunctiva, we should not be obsessed: “A small percentage of coronavirus disease patients are known to have conjunctivitis, because the virus is also in the tear, but it does not mean that all conjunctivitis are provoked by it ”.

Many hours in front of the screens

But, without a doubt, the most notorious problem in times of covid-19 and that has been revealed in a work by Qustodio

the digital security and well-being platform for families, is that children dedicate more than 50% of their time to digital devices.

And so many hours in front of these, despite the fact that every time technology innovates so that screens and their emissions are less harmful, they can impact neurocognitive development, learning, well-being and, of course, the sight of our children.

“Mainly eyestrain and tiredness.

In some cases, if you don't get enough rest and don't follow visual ergonomic rules, they can cause dry eyes, although it is not as frequent in children as in adults.

Currently, the relationship between the number of hours with digital devices and the increase in myopia in children is being studied ”, says the optometrist.

One of the many causes of school failure

80% of the socio-educational development received during the first 12 years of life is obtained through sight, which makes it one of the key senses of children's learning.

If a child does not see well, it may be more difficult for him to attend in class, be it in person or online, to read and it may even be, although not the only one, one of the causes of school failure.

“According to data from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 20% of children have a refractive problem and it can certainly affect school performance, if not corrected.

Furthermore, according to data from the sector, it has been found that between 15% and 30% of school failure could be related to visual problems ”.

Sometimes it is difficult to detect a visual condition

The revisions in the smallest ones are usually carried out by the pediatrician, who refers to the specialist if he suspects that there is a problem.

"As a general rule, it would be convenient for children to be checked at least once between 3 and 5 years, and from that moment, annually or every two years," the expert proposes.

“In general, children under 3 years old do not usually complain, and it is the parents or teachers who notice that he rubs his eyes a lot or that he squints to look at a text or look at something from a distance.

From that age on, they usually complain of poor vision when looking at the blackboard, that the text becomes blurry if they have been reading for a while or that their head hurts ”, he explains.

Therefore, if our little one winks when he looks at something in the distance, gets very close to the book or the screen, tilts his head, turns one eye away when reading or watches television, rubs his eyelids frequently and suffers from visual fatigue or headache every time you attend your classroom

, we can suspect that there is a visual problem.

Tips for good eye health

• Review.

  Especially in this very special time in which we live, specialists insist on the importance of a complete visual examination, at least once a year, to detect ocular alterations that may influence the learning and well-being of the child.

• Physical activity.

  Avoid being sedentary and moving around every day, attending the sports or activities that they like the most and, if possible, in outdoor areas;

  In addition to enjoying the outdoors, it will allow the child to exercise the eye at distant distances.

• Ventilation and light.

  Constantly ventilating rooms is a mandatory task today, in addition to "providing natural light whenever possible," as De Juan Herráez maintains

  .

  The lack of luminosity can strain the eye, generating visual fatigue and stress that can lead to refractory errors.

• Limit screens: 20/20/20.

  Of course, but above all, the number of hours that children spend in front of them.

  A recent study by Multiópticas indicates that one in three boys between 12 and 17 years old spends more than four hours looking at screens, being 9 years old the age at which they handle the devices perfectly.

  And to reduce its use, the optometrist maintains that “the recommendations that are usually given are very simple: try to limit the number of hours spent with screens (outside of those required by the school) and take frequent breaks.

  For this reason, the 20/20/20 rule is followed, which tries to look at a distance of 20 feet (6 m), every 20 minutes for 20 seconds, ”says the CGCOO spokeswoman.

  "On the other hand," he adds, "it is important to keep the computer monitor about 60 cm away and slightly below eye level (visual ergonomics).

  This is even more important in children, because because of their height they can find the screen too high ”.

  For their part, the experts at Qustodio

  They have developed some recommendations for the time that children should spend in front of the screens, which are summarized in that from 0 to 2 years, exposure should be avoided;

  from 2 to 5, maximum one hour a day;

  and for more than 5 years, limit the use depending on the level of mental maturity and the child's digital resilience.

  In any case, all ages are advised to protect eye health by disconnecting all devices at least one hour before going to bed.

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