As a parent, it’s important to care for your child’s overall health, and this includes their eyes. With more children in front of the computer or phone screen now more than ever, it’s important to take the proper precautions and ensure your child’s eyes and vision stay healthy! Besides an affordable eye exam from places like Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care, there are more ways to maintain healthy eyesight for children.
Read on for tips to follow based on an expert eye doctor in Avon Indiana.
- Encourage more rest
It’s important to take regular breaks every 30-40 minutes of writing, reading, or playing with a digital device. It’s also important to reduce the time used on electronic devices, like tablets, mobile phones computers, among other handheld devices.
Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should only consume 1-2 hours’ worth of entertainment media daily. Television, phones, and other forms of entertainment media must be avoided for infants and children under two years old. Your child’s brain will develop rapidly during these years, and they will learn best when interacting with people instead of gadgets.
- Protect the eyes from the sun
Before going outdoors, make sure your little one is using appropriate sun protection accessories like sunglasses with UV protection and hats to protect your child from the sun’s UV rays. For younger children, use a hat or umbrella for protection so it lessens the risk of them poking their eyes from the glasses.
- Spend more time outdoors
Studies show that outdoor activities would delay myopia development, which is why taking your child out for fun activities like cycling and swimming provides wondrous benefits. Not only are these outdoor exercises promoting physical fitness and hand-eye coordination, but they also help with overall eye health!
Just make sure that your child wears appropriate sun protection and that you avoid going out between 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, which are the hottest times of the day.
- Maintain a healthy diet
Your child needs to consume fruits and vegetables high in lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients protect the eyes from free radical damage. Here are the foods that help with your child’s eyes and overall health:
- Kale
- Spinach
- Collard greens
- Brussels sprouts
- Corn
- Avocado
- Pistachios
- Egg yolks
- Orange peppers
- Goji berries
- Grapes
- Zucchini
- Grapes
- Kiwi
- Orange Juice
- Salmon
- Herring
- Tuna
- Teach your child healthy eye care habits
It’s important to teach your little one about the importance of eye health and how to care for their eyes. Provide adequate lighting as your child reads or plays, and when reading, there should be a 30-40cm distance from the book, and a 50cm distance from electronic devices.
And lastly, make sure that you take your little one to regular eye exams for the doctor to monitor his eye health and vision.
Wrapping It Up
Make sure you follow these tips so your child can grow up with healthy eyes and learn to follow the right habits as they grow up.