Myopia Capital of the World
- Zoe Lim
- Jun 10, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 15, 2021
The prevalence of Myopia in Singapore is among the highest in the world, according to a 2019 report by MOH, with 65 percent of our children being myopic by Primary 6, and 83 percent of young adults being myopic.
As of 2020, there is no known cure for Myopia. We are all too familiar with the treatment and management techniques such as laser surgery and prescription lenses for the adults whose eyes have fully matured and the shape of our eyes no longer changes. However the treatment differs for children whose eyes are still in the active growing phase. The progression of Myopia in children may be slowed until their eyes stop growing. There are several promising strategies to help manage myopia in children. Other than medicinal eye drops and prescription lenses, experts recommend what humans have been doing all along before electronic devices came along; head to the outdoors and enjoy natural light. This doesn't come natural to us in the 21st century. With our over reliance on and over exposure to these devices, we need to intentionally schedule and limit screen time for the young ones. It will be fine and dandy for the first few days or weeks until parents find it hard enforce it consistently or when the child starts to throw a tantrum from the constant reminders, whichever comes earlier.
Introducing the Plano app to resolve these possible issues. The creators created an innovative way to remind the young children to adopt good habits such as moving to a brighter spot if its' getting dark or placing the screen further away from their eyes if its' too near. They have also gamified the process to reward the young kids through point systems.
Ultimately, prevention is better than cure and the earlier the better. To tackle Myopia in children, education, treatment and early detection is key.
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