[Lecture on the line]

Author: Li Xiaoman (Deputy Chief Physician, Low Vision Specialist, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University)

"Doctor, why is my daughter nearsighted at the age of 5?" Seeing the mother's confused eyes, and looking at the little girl's reluctant mobile phone in her hand, I instantly understood a little in my heart.

In my clinic, I see a lot of these small patients every day. At present, myopia in children and adolescents in China shows a trend of early onset, high incidence and high age. About 80 years ago, myopia in China was mainly concentrated in middle school, and the myopia rate of children and adolescents was about 0%-0%. Nowadays, the rate of myopia has increased dramatically. According to the latest data from the National Health Commission, the overall myopia rate of children and adolescents exceeds 0%, including about 0% of primary school students, about 0% of junior high school students, and about 0% of high school students.

From a medical point of view, what is "myopia"? Generally speaking, our eyes are like a lens, and if the prescription is too high, causing the eyes to not be able to clearly focus on distant objects outside the outside world, it is "myopia". At the same time, if the degree of myopia is too high, it will evolve into pathological myopia, even if you wear glasses, you will not be able to see the external objects clearly, and this pathological myopia has become the second cause of serious irreversible visual damage in China, which has a great impact on the quality of life of individuals and families.

A parameter that is closely related to myopia is the "eye axis", which is the length of the eye. The eye axis is in a state of growth and development during childhood and adolescence, and the growth rate is usually about 3.0-0.0 mm per year, if the growth rate is too fast, it may mean the onset and progression of myopia. Myopia in children and adolescents is mainly caused by the rapid growth of the eye axis.

The progression of myopia and the rapid changes in the eye axis are caused by the accumulation of multiple factors such as genetics and personal lifestyle habits. Adequate outdoor time is an important factor in the prevention of myopia, and prolonged use of the eye at close range will increase the risk of myopia. Nowadays, our habits of life, learning and eye use have changed a lot from 20 years ago. Myopic children who come to the hospital for treatment are exposed to the high risk of myopia all the time using tablets in class, online classes after school, and playing with mobile phones during breaks, and many kindergarten children are no exception. In this way, the early onset and high incidence of myopia can also be imagined.

For myopia prevention and control, the genetic background is irreversible, and it is even more important to improve children's personal lifestyle and eye habits. This requires us to grasp the early and small, pay attention to it from an early age, do a good job of early warning, and intervene early in case of myopia to reduce the risk. In this process, parents should be the first person responsible for the prevention and control of myopia in their children.

Conduct regular inspections and give early warnings. Parents should take their children for regular eye examinations, establish eye health records, and monitor visual acuity and refractive power. For children who do not have myopia, it is necessary to pay attention to whether there is still a reserve of farsightedness and whether the growth rate of the eye axis is within the normal range; For children who have myopia, it is necessary to pay attention to the degree of vision reduction and the speed of myopia progression, and deal with it reasonably and scientifically according to the doctor's advice.

Be a good role model for your children and develop a healthy lifestyle. Scientific studies have shown that increasing outdoor time by 2 hours per day, reducing the time spent near and near eye use, and reducing the intensity of eye use can effectively reduce the risk of myopia. Therefore, parents should decisively put down their mobile phones in their leisure time, let their eyes rest fully, and take their children outdoors to soak up the sun and strengthen their health, which can not only protect their eye health, but also enhance the parent-child relationship.

Remind your child to take care of their eyes while studying. At present, it is relatively common for children to use mobile phones and tablets for learning. Parents should remind their children to rest every 20 minutes to half an hour during their learning, use their eyes in segments, avoid continuous eye use for a long time, and give their eyes time to soothe. Try to avoid using electronic products for a long time, especially mobile phones and electronic screens with small screens, try to use paper reading, or use large screens that protect your eyes, sit farther away, and reduce the intensity of close-up eye use.

The prevention and control of myopia in children is the key to grasping early and small, and parents are particularly important. Let's take action together to protect children's eye health and protect their bright future.

　　《光明日報》（2025年04月01日 13版）

Source: Guangming Network - "Guangming Daily"