As the COVID-19 pandemic has entered its 3rd year, there has
been a significant increase in online classes, digital product usage, and
indoor time, especially with the upcoming summer vacation for children and
teenagers. Health Promotion Administration urges all parents to implement the
principle of “after every 30 minutes eye usage, rest for 10 minutes, and
outdoor activity for at least 120 minutes everyday”, to help children develop
correct eye usage habit and increase outdoor activity time to preserve their
vision. Moreover, before the school starts, take your children for regular eye
check-up for early detection and prompt correction, without making any delay or
interruption on myopia correction due to the pandemic.
Less near work activity and more outdoor activity
According to the 2017 survey report of “Children and Adolescent Vision Monitoring and Survey Program”, the prevalence rate of myopia in 3-4 years old kindergarten students was 6.9%, in 5-6 years old kindergarten students was 9.0%, in Grade I students was 19.8% and in Grade VI students was 70.6%. Since long term near-work eye usage is a risk factor of myopia, establishing good eye-care habits should start with following the 3010 principle. Parents can use timers, alarm clocks, or computer screen timers to remind their children to rest their eyes for 10 mins after every 30 mins of eye usage by turning away from the digital screen or books. While resting, they can look out the window, walk around, stretch, use the toilet, wash hands or helping with house work. Moreover, if it is impossible to go outdoors due to the pandemic, parents are advised to make more use of spaces such as courtyards, roof of buildings, balconies or corridors, and play simple catch games. In addition to achieving eye movement, it will also help children maintain their 2 hours of outdoor activity.
Empirical evidence has found that increased outdoor activities is a protective factor for vision health. Research commissioned by Health Promotion Administration also shows similar findings, that outdoor activities for at least 11 hours a week can reduce the occurrence and progression of myopia. School children must spend more than 120 minutes outdoors every day, because outdoor sunlight can promote the body to produce vitamin D to strengthen immunity, and increase the secretion of retinal dopamine, thereby inhibiting the elongation of the eye axis. Furthermore, looking at distant objects can also relax eye muscles, thereby slowing the axial ocular growth.
Deploy children’s vision in advance | Hyperopia reserve = myopia resistance
A student in Grade II of elementary school, was found to have abnormal vision in the school vision screening 8 months ago. Through cycloplegic refraction test, the doctor found out that the student’s left eye was hyperopic by 50 degrees and right eye was hyperopic by 25 degrees, and the student was recommended to use low-concentration mydriatic agent for treatment, combined with 3010120 daily eye care habits and regular follow-up visits. At present, his vision has not deteriorated and is under good control. Furthermore, his younger brother in kindergarten was also found to have abnormal vision during the vision screening, however, after cycloplegic refraction test by the doctor, no abnormality was found, but he was still recommended regular follow-up visits.
Health Promotion Administration recommends that parents should take their children to an ophthalmologist for an eye check-up 1-2 times a year, starting from 3-4 years of age. This is to grasp the changes in children's vision and hyperopic reserves, because children's eyes are mostly hyperopic by 100-200 degrees , and the degree of hyperopia is like the child's deposit in the vision passbook, which can be regarded as the degree of reserve for good vision. The hyperopic reserve in lower grade elementary school and kindergarten students can be more than 100 degrees, and the hyperopic reserve in middle and higher grade elementary school students can be more than 50 degrees, which can resist the occurrence of myopia.
Children’s good vision is a country’s competitiveness
Director General Chao-Chun Wu of Health Promotion Administration urges parents to view myopia as a disease, and children should establish correct eye care habits since childhood, combined with regular eye check-up to keep myopia under control. Creating good vision care for children and keeping the future of our country away from the threat of myopia are key to the country’s competitiveness and future development.