Lockdowns and increased screen time have left a third of kids short-sighted

COVID lockdowns and days spent staring astatine screens person near a 3rd of children short-sighted, a survey suggests.

Myopia was recovered to person tripled betwixt 1990 and 2023, according to information connected much than 5 cardinal youngsters successful 50 countries.

The highest rates of the information were successful the Far East, with 85 per cent of children successful Japan and 73 per cent successful South Korea affected, researchers found.

About 15 per cent of youngsters successful the UK and US were said to person myopia.

Those successful Paraguay and Uganda were recovered to beryllium the slightest apt to person the condition.

Myopia usually starts during superior school years and worsens until the eyes halt increasing astatine astir 20.

The emergence was peculiarly notable aft the pandemic with diagnosis rates climbing by six per cent successful 3 years.

The researchers wrote: “Concerns person been raised astir the imaginable antagonistic interaction of lockdowns connected oculus health.

“This is owed to the summation successful surface clip that results from extended periods indoors.”

Myopia, which tin beryllium passed genetically, is expected to impact 40 per cent of children globally — astir 740 cardinal — by 2050.

Young boys are 3 times much apt to make the information than girls.

The researchers, penning successful the British Journal of Ophthalmology, encouraged young radical to practise “eye-protective measures” and walk much clip exercising outdoors alternatively of sitting astatine location looking astatine screens.