MYOPIA ON THE RISE AMONG CHILDREN 8 YEARS OLD - THE “GOLDEN PERIOD” FOR VISION MANAGEMENT
With heavy homework loads and increasing screen time, myopia among Hong Kong’s schoolchildren has become a growing concern. A recent survey by the Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists found that nearly 20% of primary school students show a startling 275 degrees of myopia in their first eye examination, while 37% of primary school parents interviewed have children affected by myopia, with an average of 170 degrees. Even more shocking, approximately 6% of students have severe myopia of 425 degrees or more, making this a worrying trend that cannot be ignored.These alarming numbers are especially concerning due to the fact that only 70% of parents have ever taken their children to have their eyes tested. It is crucial that parents recognize that profound myopia in childhood increases the likelihood of developing severe eye diseases in adulthood – and that risk grows with age. To protect their children's sight, they must seize the "golden period" of childhood eye development as early as possible.
DISCOVER MORE25 Aug 2023
