Myopia in Children: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Generally, in children, it occurs around 5-6 years of age. At this age we speak of myopia Pathological, it can arise from prolonged eye strain. Being too busy reading a textbook, or trying to maintain vision in a dimly lit environment.

Index of topics

The myopia epidemic

Children's myopia It has become a global epidemic: it affects one in three, and if this rate continues, by 2050 more than half of the world's adolescents could find themselves with vision problems. These are not unexpected conclusions, according to a study coordinated by Yajun Chen of Sun Yat-Sen University in China and published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Chinese researchers cross-referenced data from 276 studies worldwide on this topic, involving over five million children.

Countries with the most short-sighted children

The countries with the highest rates are Japan (where 85 percent of children are myopic), South Korea (73 percent), and China (40 percent). In addition to genetic predisposition, which is particularly prevalent in Asia, there are also factors contributing to the ongoing epidemic. First and foremost, excessive screen time, with a symmetrical reduction in time spent outdoors: further confirmation of this is provided by statistics. Myopia among children and adolescents tripled between 1990 and 2023, but the peak occurred during the two-year period of Covid-19, when young people found themselves stuck at home, spending more time in front of screens. Another important factor is linked to the early age at which children start school in several Asian countries.

Cause

The cause of myopia is not a virus or bacteria, but rather unhealthy lifestyles. Even in Italy, the data is not reassuring, and the exponential growth of myopia is causing great concern to doctors and families. A third of the Italian population is forced to wear glasses due to myopia, and the age group most affected is between 25 and 29. It's no coincidence that this is also the age group that uses electronic devices the most. The primary explanation for the causes is that genetics: but it's not enough to decipher such an exponential multiplication of cases and disease. The second concerns the excessive use of time spent in front of computers, TV, cell phone screens, tablets and smartphone, especially among children. There's a lot of advice here, starting with keeping your eyes away from the screen and avoiding using these devices in the dark, as this increases the negative effects of artificial light. There's also the advice of a healthy diet as a form of prevention: the eyes are best protected with vitamin A, and therefore with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In the past, myopia would emerge between the ages of 13 and 15, and then stop around 18. Now, the age has moved up to around 10 years old, and myopia stabilizes around 30, if not later. Much research is being done on the cases, and genetics certainly remains the number one factor. Some Scientific studies They show that with both myopic parents, one in two children will be myopic; with one myopic parent, one in three; and without myopic parents, one in four children will still be myopic. But even in this case, time spent in contact with technology is not a sufficient cause to explain the epidemic. Recent research all points to the lack of time spent outdoorsA very recent study of 500 Californian children and another study of 4 Australian children have scientifically demonstrated the close correlation between myopia and the hours spent outdoors. In practice, children who spend more time indoors, or in any case in closed environments, are more myopic than others. Ian Morgan of the University of Canberra has calculated that To protect their eyes, children should spend at least three hours outdoors every day.Let's keep this in mind, especially in this season that encourages going outside.

Myopia and lack of sunlight

Dopamine is the chemical that links myopia to a lack of sunlight: bright light stimulates the production of this neurotransmitter in the eye, which rebalances the growth of children's eyeballs, preventing excessive elongation. Take your children outdoors more often, to a park, to a garden. Everywhere there are traces of sun and natural light. This research is also confirmed by a study conducted by Peking University, according to which children who go to school after school outdoor activity, even just playing or walking, show half the cases of myopia of those who stay indoors. In Taiwan, scientists have concluded that At least 14 hours of outdoor time per week is needed to reduce the incidence of myopia.. So: more space for natural light, and less for the flashes of electrical and electronic devices.

Symptoms

There are some symptoms of myopia in children that should not be underestimated. These include:

The child approaches objects to identify them.
At school he asks his classmate or the teacher what is written or drawn on the blackboard.
He frequently has a crooked head position which indicates vision problems.
Squint to focus on distant objects.
He squints if he gets too close to something he's holding, like a book.
As the child gets older, he or she experiences blurry vision of distant objects.

risks

The most serious risks of the untreated progression of myopia in children, beyond the threshold of 6 diopters, are three.

CataractIncreasing myopia may lead to the need for surgery.
Retinal lesions. Initially peripheral, they can lead to retinal detachment.
Myopic maculopathy. This is the worst progression, putting your eyesight at risk.

Remedies

In the initial phase, to prevent the progression of myopia in children, the use of low-concentration atropine eye drops is recommended. At low doses, atropine acts as a sort of prodrug and stimulates dopamine production. This causes the scleral tissue to stiffen, preventing worsening of myopia. Even low-concentration atropine eye drops should be taken after consulting a specialist.

Cure

Interesting advances have also been made in eye drops used for myopia. The most effective is atropine-based, which targets certain receptors at the back of the eye. Atropine-based eye drops, which are highly diluted, are not commercially available, but can be easily prepared in a galenical preparation. Another treatment option is the use of peripherally defocused lenses, which focus very effectively in the center, as with traditional lenses, and insert microlenses of approximately one millimeter each into the outer portion. These microlenses focus forward, thus producing less stimulation and less stretching of the eyeball. Aside from these innovations, the old weapons for treating myopia remain: traditional corrective lenses and refractive surgery, which is possible once myopia has stabilized.

New treatment

The latest hope for curing myopia rests on a new treatment that involves exposure to low-level red light, which, using a type of binocular microscope, slows the progression of myopia for three minutes twice a day, five days a week. The treatment has passed the experimental stage and may soon become a fully-fledged therapy for myopia.

Prevention

To recap here it is 10 simple tips to avoid the onset of this annoying pathology:

First of all, you have to pay attention that children should maintain an adequate distance both from the book when they study and, even more so, when they are in front of a computer or tabletThis bad habit prevents the eye from working flexibly and is one of the main causes of myopia, which is nothing more than the inability to focus on distant objects. The recommended distance is thirty centimetres.
Prevent the little ones use electronic devices in the dark or in poor lightingThis increases the negative effect of artificial light and makes the eyes work harder. Generally, the area where you read or use the computer should be three times brighter than the rest of the room.
Children, whether they like it or not, inevitably spend hours in front of books. For this reason, it's important not to further stress their eyes with excessive use of video games or simply by spending too much time in front of the television.
No smartphones or tablets before the age of three.
Teach your children a little exercise: at regular intervals, approximately every 15 minutes, look up from the work you are doing, whether reading, writing or using a computer, to observe a distant point.
Children should spend as much time outdoors as possible.Physical activity and sport not only help healthy growth but also constitute a good exercise for the eyes which, having an open field at their disposal, have the ability to focus on distant objects and subjects.
Myopia can also be fought with a healthy eatingThe fundamental foods for protecting the eyes are all those rich in Vitamin A and in particular: the green leafy vegetables (rich in lutein), blue-skinned fruits like blueberries (source of anthocyanins), almonds and walnuts (rich in fatty acids and omega 3)
Pay attention to the stance of your children, it is important that when sitting they keep their feet on the ground and their shoulders straight, so as to maintain both eyes at the same height.
Even the furniture they use must be proportionate to their growth. Furthermore, the desk where they study or use the computer must be a plane inclined at about 15 or 20 degrees.
Once you have to resort to using the glasses it's important let the children choose the color of the frame so that they do not experience them as an imposition and are willing to wear them.
Finally, in the growth phase, subject children to a check-up every 6 monthsMyopia is a correctable condition; the important thing is to intervene early.

Myopia in Children: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention