Doctors express concern over rising childhood myopia

With myopia in children on the rise, doctors have raised the need to reduce screen time, increase outdoor activity, and ensure periodic eye screening.

These concerns were highlighted during the launch of a ‘Myopia Clinic’ at Rajan Eye Care Hospital on Friday. Rema Chandramohan, deputy Chief Executive Officer, Centre of Excellence for Autism, Chennai and former Director, Institute of Child Health and Pravin Tellakula, president, Rotary Club of Madras T. Nagar, inaugurated the clinic.

Mohan Rajan, chairman and medical director, Rajan Eye Care Hospital, said refractive errors were becoming a major issue among children.

“Early diagnosis is important for myopia. Earlier, school vision screening was done when children were five years old. Now, we are doing it for 2.5-year-old children,” he said.

Noting that every fourth child is now wearing glasses, Dr. Rajan said that children are glued to gadgets, and smaller gadgets can increase power. Individuals with higher myopia are at risk of developing retinal detachment, early cataract, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration later in life.

Dr. Pravin Tellakula said that with the advent of smaller gadgets and the COVID-19 pandemic, students had to depend on gadgets for online classes. Restricting screen time is key to preventing myopia in children. Dr. Rema Chandramohan stressed the need to create awareness in public places.

Posters could be put up in places where children congregate such as theatres, malls, and theme parks. “Reducing screen time, increasing outdoor activity and regular check-ups are important,” she said.

Explaining the need for a myopia clinic, Vaishnavi J, head, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Myopia Clinic, said that children are living in a world dominated by screens, including for online classes and entertainment. As a result, myopia has silently become an epidemic.

Clinic goals

The goals of the clinic were to slow eye growth, reduce power progression, prevent retinal damage, and improve visual habits by creating awareness on screen habits among parents, students, and teachers.

The clinic will offer services, including comprehensive paediatric eye examinations, cycloplegic refraction, eye structural examinations, binocular vision assessment and AI-integrated myopia progression evaluation.

Treatment will follow a tailored approach for each kid. It includes low dose atropine and myopia control spectacles. “Paediatric screening is necessary, at least before children enter pre-school,” she said.

Sujatha Mohan, executive medical director, said that screen time resulting in dryness and eye rubbing was also contributing to keratoconus in children. “We have to tell parents to avoid screen time totally,” she said.