Eye problems plague HCM City school-age children

A doctor checks a child for an eye problem in HCM City. Many children in the city have refractive errors. – Photo laodong.vn

HCM City – A recent study by the Centre for Disease Control of HCM City has found the city has a high rate of children with vision problems due to a number of factors, but mainly bad habits.

Over 50 per cent of school-age children suffer from refractive errors, which cause blurred vision.

The study, titled “The Status of Common School Diseases and Related Factors in the 2023-2024 Academic Year in HCM City,” polled 1,230 students from preschool to high school at eight randomly selected schools.

The HCM City Eye Hospital gets an average of over 500 child patients per day.

Many of these child patients suffer from eye strain and blurry vision.

Dr Lê Thị Kim Chi, deputy head of the hospital’s refractive department, told Tuổi Trẻ newspaper that the occurrence of refractive errors is particularly high, especially among school-age children.

While the exact causes of refractive errors are not clearly known, they are associated with genetic factors, extensive use of electronic devices, poor posture, and intensive studying.

Without corrective lenses, children with refractive errors experience significant blurriness, which affects their academic performance and daily activities.

Properly prescribed glasses can manage school-related myopia and enable clear vision, but if not detected early, complications such as amblyopia, strabismus, retinal degeneration, and retinal detachment could occur.

Dr Nguyễn Thị Bạch Tuyết, an ophthalmologist at Paediatrics Hospital 2, also blamed heavy academic loads, excessive gaming and nutritional deficiencies, particularly of some essential nutrients such as vitamin A, omega-3, vitamin C, and calcium.

Chi said to prevent and slow the progression of refractive errors, parents should ensure children maintain a proper sitting posture while studying, use appropriately sized chairs and tables, keep books at a suitable distance from the eyes, and have adequate lighting.

They should also watch out for signs of refractive errors in their children to detect and address them promptly, she said.

In urban areas, where playgrounds are scarce, parents need to motivate their children to engage in outdoor activities to reduce their use of electronic devices.

Schools should be equipped with suitable tables and chairs and proper lighting, and infirmaries should include eye charts for students to check their vision under teacher guidance, she added.

Việt Nam has around five million children with refractive errors, with myopia accounting for 40 per cent.

The problem is most prevalent in urban areas. – VNS