StopMyopia
By Alethea Tan
Childhood
An astonishing 60% of
12-year-old Singaporean
children suffer from myopia,
a number that is only set
to rise even higher in the
future. Dr Gerard Nah and
Chew Wai Kwong reveal
what parents can do to halt
childhood myopia.
Dear parents, while it’s tempting for
you to give your child that tablet or
television break, please don’t.
According to various studies done on
myopia in Singapore, 15% of fouryear-olds, 20-30% of seven-yearolds and 60% of 12-year-olds suffer
from childhood myopia.
Unfortunately,
there’s also
a hereditary
element present
in myopia.
Unfortunately, there’s also a hereditary
element present in myopia. Children
whose parents suffer from myopia
have a higher chance of being shortsighted. Of course, there are good
habits children can adopt to retard the
progress or even prevent myopia.
Dr Gerard Nah, renowned senior
eye surgeon, believes lifestyle and
environmental changes are the main
causes for myopia.
1 Spend more time outdoors and
less time indoors as sunlight has
The indulgent usage of electronic
products is one of the main reasons
why myopia is becoming prevalent
amongst children these days.
“In comparison to our great-grandparents’
or grandparents’ generation, the urbanised
society today places a greater emphasis
on academic achievement at an even
earlier age, contributing to greater near
work activity and lack of outdoor play that
contributes to myopia,” explains Dr Nah.
been proven to help with myopia
there
2 Ensure thatchild isis ample lighting for
when your
studying or reading
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indoors (white is preferred over yellow
lights for reading as it mimics the sun’s
spectrum for natural light better)
Discourage your children from reading
while lying down or in a moving vehicle
Encourage a healthy diet that is rich in
vegetables and fish oils
But how can you tell if your child is
suffering from myopia?
If your children tilt their heads while
watching their favourite cartoon or
take a little longer to discern bus
numbers, book that eye appointment
immediately. In fact, doctors
recommend that parents should start
bringing their children for eye checkups from the age of five onwards.
“At five, it is still possible for parents
to take preventive measures against
myopia, and also start correcting bad
habits that might contribute to shortsightedness,” explained Mr Chew Wai
Kwong, Manager at W Eye Optics.
The good news: childhood myopia
progression typically stabilises
around the age of 18.
Eye Myths
Debunked!
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1 Wearing glasses will cause a child to be dependent
on them
drops
1 Atropine eyeaged between six and 12, atropine eye
For children
Ways To Slow
Down Myopia Progression
drops may be prescribed to control myopia progression.
Use of prescription glasses is to correct a child’s
It is a simple method that only requires parents to drop
blurry vision that can be caused by myopia. Not
one drop of atropine into each eye once a day, and it has
wearing spectacles on the other hand might cause
shown an efficacy of 50-60% in retarding myopia prothe myopia to progress even more.
gression. This means that if a child typically progresses
It’s not necessary to go for an eye check unless my
by 100 degrees each year, using these drops would
child complains that he can’t see clearly
reduce the progression to 40-50 degrees.
The recommended age at which children should
Ortho-K lenses
start going for an eye exam would be at age five. This
Another alternative to control myopia progression for
is so that if necessary, the progression of myopia can
children between ages five and 12 is the Ortho-K lenses.
be determined and measures can be put in place
Worn at night, these lenses help reshape the cornea in
earlier to control myopia progression.
order for clear vision during the day. Ortho-K lenses can
Pinhole glasses control myopia
slow down myopia progression by up to 50% and is recPinhole glasses work by restricting light, which
ommended for daily use, with a one day rest each week.
might give the illusion of helping one with myopia see
clearer and better. However, it does not help one to
improve their natural visual capacity or control the
progression of myopia.
Seeing green is good for myopia
Many associate looking at green objects
Things To Take Note
with being outdoors, which slows down my Of When Spectacle Shopping
opia. This is not entirely true. Rather than
green objects, it is the balanced spectrum
The fit of the spectacles around the nose bridge. This can be
and brightness of the sun’s rays that is one
checked by sliding the glasses down the nose. If it can slide down
of the most significant factors that help prowithout much resistance, the nose bridge is too big or wide for
tect a child’s eyes.
the child.
Eye massage exercises will improve one’s
The length of the temple. It should not be too long, or the spectaeyesight
cles will not be firmly secured on the child’s face.
Eye massages can help to relax the eyes,
The material of the spectacles. Young children can perspire a
against overstraining as a child may be
lot, and perspiration can cause corrosion. Parents should opt for
doing a lot of near work activity such as
acetate or plastic frames, or even one made with hypoallergenic
studying or reading. However, myopia is a
materials. Also, it’s important that the frames should contain no
situation where the eyeball becomes too
screws or other small parts that can be detached.
long, and doing eye massages will not help
to change the shape of the eye or cornea.
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Nov 2013 • Family & Life
21