Eye experts advise parents to limit their children's screen time
As the world marks Myopia Week, there’s a focus on prioritising their eye health.
Blue eye sight vision
CAPE TOWN - Eye experts are advising parents to limit their children’s screen time and prioritise outdoor activities.
As the world marks Myopia Week, there’s a focus on prioritising their eye health.
Myopia, also known as near-sightedness, is caused by prolonged close-up activities, limited time spent outdoors and excessive screen time.
Paediatric ophthalmologist Dr Helga Abrahamse-Pillay says limiting screen time will help protect children’s eyesight.
“Parents generally should do more time outside, a minimum of 2 hours per day, outdoor activity and to get them to do distant activity, away from screens at home.”
Abrahamse-Pillay adds that early detection is the best way to prevent the condition from worsening.
"So the child will read very close, bring things right up to their face, they will move closer to the board, they will narrow their eyes to make their vision slightly better and they will often not want to participate in sports because they don’t see the objects very well."