Children around the world are going blind, with one in three children suffering from nearsightedness or farsightedness, a new study has found. The trend has worsened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the BBC reported.

Myopia has become a major global health problem, expected to affect millions of children by 2050. Lockdowns have exacerbated the problem as the pandemic has increased screen time and reduced outdoor activities.

Asia has the highest rates of myopia, with 85% among Japanese children and 73% among Korean children. In China and Russia, more than 40% of children are affected by this disease.

The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, analyzed data from more than 50 million children and adolescents in 50 countries on six continents. Paraguay and Uganda had the lowest rates of 1 percent, while the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States had rates of around 15 percent.

Global rates of myopia tripled from 1990 to 2023 and now affect 36% of children, a number that has risen sharply during the coronavirus pandemic. Myopia usually begins in elementary school and stops progressing by age 20.

Although genetic factors contribute to eye health, environmental factors, particularly in East Asia, increase the risk of myopia. In places like Singapore and Hong Kong, children spend too much time focused on books and screens, which puts strain on their eye muscles, leading to this condition.

Researchers believe that locks are the main cause of this disease. “Data on young people suggest a possible link between the epidemic and rapid vision loss in young people,” they wrote.By 2050, myopia could affect more than half of the world’s adolescents. Research shows that girls and young women spend less time outdoors during the school day and may therefore be at greater risk.

To help prevent myopia, researchers recommend that children spend at least two hours outside each day, especially between the ages of seven and nine.

Sources

https://www.ndtv.com/science/new-study-says-one-in-three-children-short-sighted-after-covid-lockdowns-6652597/amp/1

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0m099zm4wyo