When it comes to childhood myopia, taking action matters.
Myopia, or short-sightedness, often develops during childhood and can continue to progress while the eyes are growing. We can’t change a child’s genetics, but there are practical things parents can do to help reduce the risk of myopia developing and, if a child is already short-sighted, help manage its progression.
Why does this matter? Myopia doesn’t just mean needing glasses to see clearly in the distance. Higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased risk of eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, macular disease and cataract.
So, for Myopia Action Month, we’re concentrating on exactly that: ACTION.
Here are six practical steps parents can take to support their child’s eye health.
1. Encourage more time outdoors
One of the simplest actions is also one of the most important: encourage children to spend more time outside.
Research has consistently linked increased outdoor time with a lower risk of children developing myopia. Aim for around two hours outdoors each day where possible.
It doesn’t have to mean organised sport. Walking the dog, playing in the garden, going to the park or simply spending time outside all count.
And yes, outdoor time still counts when it’s cloudy!
2. Teach them the elbow rule
How close does your child hold their phone, tablet or book?
Try the elbow rule. Ask your child to make a fist and place it next to their eye. Where their elbow reaches is approximately the closest their book or screen should be.
It’s a simple rule children can understand and can help discourage very close working distances.
3. Build better screen and close-work habits
Homework, reading and screens are an unavoidable part of modern childhood. The answer isn’t necessarily to stop children doing close work, but to encourage healthier habits around it.
Encourage regular breaks. A simple rule is 20/20: after around 20 minutes of close work, look away into the distance for at least 20 seconds.
At Rawlings, we also like the memorable 20-20-20-20 rule for screen-related eye comfort: every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking around 20 feet away and consciously blink around 20 times.
Where possible, it can also be helpful to separate recreational screen time from all the screen use children already have for schoolwork.
4. Don’t skip regular children’s eye examinations
Children don’t necessarily realise when their vision has changed. To them, however they see is simply “normal”.
Regular eye examinations give your optometrist the opportunity to identify myopia and monitor how your child’s prescription and eyes are changing as they grow.
If your child is already myopic, regular monitoring becomes particularly important. Myopia can progress more rapidly in younger children, so don’t simply wait until their glasses appear to be too weak.
And if you or your child’s other parent are short-sighted, tell your optometrist. Family history is an important risk factor for childhood myopia.
5. Make myopia management a family affair
Parents aren’t the only people supervising children’s habits.
Tell grandparents, childminders and other family members too.
Explain why you’re encouraging outdoor play, why your child shouldn’t hold a tablet inches from their face and why regular breaks from homework, reading or gaming matter.
The more consistently healthy visual habits are encouraged by everyone looking after a child, the easier they become part of everyday life.
6. If your child is having myopia management treatment, stick with it
If your child has already started myopia management treatment, following the advice of their optometrist is important.
Specialist myopia management spectacle lenses or contact lenses need to be worn as advised, and regular follow-up appointments are an important part of treatment.
Myopia management isn’t simply about giving a child clearer vision today. The aim is to slow the progression of myopia as they grow, potentially reducing the level of short-sightedness they ultimately develop.
At Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care, we offer a range of myopia management options for children, allowing treatment to be tailored to the individual child.
Ready to take action on childhood myopia?
This Myopia Action Month, choose one change – or all six.
More outdoor time. Better close-work habits. The elbow rule. Regular eye examinations. Get the whole family involved. And if myopia management treatment has been prescribed, stick with it.
Small actions during childhood could make a meaningful difference to your child’s vision in the future.
Find out more about Myopia Management at Rawlings Opticians & Hearing Care.
For parents who would like to learn more about childhood myopia, we also recommend My Kids Vision, which provides clear, evidence-based information about myopia, risk factors, healthy visual habits and myopia management.
FAQs
Can you prevent myopia in children?
Myopia cannot always be prevented, particularly where there is a family history. However, encouraging children to spend more time outdoors and develop healthy habits around screens and close work may help reduce the risk of myopia developing.
How can I slow down my child’s myopia?
If your child is already short-sighted, specialist myopia management treatments may help slow its progression. These can include specially designed spectacle lenses, soft contact lenses, or Orthokeratology. An optometrist can advise which options may be suitable for your child.
How much time should children spend outdoors to help prevent myopia?
At least two hours of outdoor time each day is commonly recommended for children. This can include playing, walking, sport or simply spending time outside and does not have to be continuous.
How do I know if my child is becoming short-sighted?
Children with myopia may struggle to see things clearly in the distance, sit closer to the television, screw their eyes up, move nearer to the board at school or complain of difficulty seeing distant objects. However, some children show few obvious signs, which is why regular eye examinations are important.
