With the pandemic and the need for social isolation, children around the world began to stay longer at home. A daily life with longer time in front of screens and less outdoor activities in leisure moments. The “new normal”, experienced a year and a half ago, is already paying its price: the growth of myopia among children aged 6 to 8 years in China.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Jama), with 123 thousand children and teenagers, showed up to four-fold growth in the number of diagnoses during the pandemic compared to previous years.

Learn about the research, the data raised and what are the recommendations of experts to slow the growth of the disease among young people.

The research

Researchers examined 123 thousand children and teenagers, from 6 to 13 years old, in schools in Feicheng, China, in 2020. The evaluation technique used was photoscreening, a camera that analyzes the eyes and does not require pupil dilation.

Children aged 6 years were the ones who suffered the most from the increase in myopia: from 5.7%, between 2015 and 2019, to 21.5% in 2020. The 7-year-olds, in the same period, showed a raise from 16.2% to 26.2% and the 8-year-olds, from 27.7% to 37.2%. The increased degree of myopia also drew attention: 1.5-2 degrees.

In the 9 – 13-year group, there was no significant evolution.

Another interesting result is that girls developed myopia earlier than boys.

With this, researchers concluded that the social isolation caused by the new coronavirus pandemic can influence myopia in children. Especially among those aged six to eight years because they are at a stage more sensitive to the problem.

Does increased myopia also occur here as overseas?

In Brazil, there are no concrete data on the increase in myopia in children and teenagers during the pandemic. But in a recent survey conducted by the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO), 72% of ophthalmologists reported an increase in diagnoses in patients from zero to 19 years old.

295 ophthalmologists, specialized in various areas, such as retina, cornea, glaucoma and pediatrics, were heard between April and June this year. 76% of doctors believe excessive exposure to electronic devices may directly relate to the explosion of cases. 22% believe only smartphones and tablets are to blame. On the other hand, a small percentage of experts believe there is no link between the two events.

Less screen, more outdoor action

The increase of myopia in young people during the pandemic is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The disease can be hereditary, passing from parents to sons. In relation to external conditions, the problem lies in the longer period focused on objects very close to the eyes, not resting nr being exposed to sunlight.

Looking at things too closely, less than 33 centimeters from the eyes, without intervals, causes the release of chemical agents inside the eye, which can grow the eyeball larger and increase myopia.

Another aggravating factor is the progression to severe myopia, which seriously affects vision. Currently, this untreated disease is the leading cause of mild and moderate visual impairment and the second largest cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Besides this, it can cause more serious problems in the future, such as glaucoma, cataracts and retinal detachment.

The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP) has recommendations on the use of screens by children and teenagers. One of the main is not exposing children up to two years to screens, even if passively. From two to five years, only one hour a day. From six to ten years, two hours a day. Other guidelines are to avoid screens during meals and two hours before bedtime. And, when using, take periodic breaks every 30 minutes or 1 hour in a row.

At the same time, it is critical to increase outdoor activities so that cases decrease. Sunlight releases neurotransmitters that reduce eye enlargement.

Myopia: the epidemic of the century

It has been a few years since the WHO warns of a worldwide myopia epidemic. The entity estimates that the disease currently affects 35% of the population and may reach more than half (52%) by 2050. Only in Brazil, the organization believes that there are 59 million short-sighted people.

Regular visits to the ophthalmologist

How to slow the increase in myopia among children and teenagers taking other actions than reducing close focus without intervals and having more outdoor activities? It is advisable for parents or legal guardians not to only take youngsters to the ophthalmologist after a visual issue. It is essential to keep a routine of visits to the specialist, mainly because at this age it is possible to prevent and early diagnose eye disorders.

Reviewed by Paulo Schor, ophthalmologist, free professor and director of innovation of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and collaborator of the Faculty of Medicine of the Albert Einstein Hospital.

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