Preventing myopia starts with babies. The National Health Commission recommends that infants and young children not use mobile phones and other electronic products.

People's Daily Online, Beijing, May 31 (Reporter Sun Hongli)

Today, the National Health Commission released a Q&A on the core knowledge of eye care for children aged 0 to 6 on its official website. The National Health Commission pointed out that 0 to 6 years old is a critical period for the development of children's eyes and visual functions, and the visual development before the age of 6 determines the visual quality of children throughout their lives. Myopia prevention should start from an early age, and parents should provide their babies with a healthy visual environment and help them develop good eye habits.

What are the main measures to prevent myopia in the early stage? In this regard, the National Health Commission has made the following suggestions:

Increase time spent outdoors

Outdoor activities and exposure to sunlight can promote the release of dopamine in the eye, thereby inhibiting the elongation of the eye axis and preventing and controlling the premature occurrence of myopia. Therefore, children should insist on outdoor sports. Children aged 3 to 6 should spend more than 2 hours outdoors every day and bathe in the sun as much as possible.

Reduce the time of continuous close eye use

Reduce the time of using eyes at close range, such as reading, drawing, and writing, and avoid bad reading and writing habits. Do not read or write while walking, eating, lying in bed, in a shaking car, in dim light or under direct sunlight, etc. The time of using eyes at close range should not be too long each time. Stop and rest your eyes after about 20 minutes, and look into the distance for 5 to 10 minutes. It is recommended that young children read picture books as much as possible with their parents to avoid using their eyes at close range for too long.

Limit the use of electronic video products

Long-term close-range use of electronic video products can easily consume children's farsightedness reserves and affect vision development. It is recommended that infants and young children should not use mobile phones, computers and other video electronic products, and children aged 3 to 6 should avoid contact with and use mobile phones, computers and other video electronic products as much as possible.

Other measures

Choose a desk lamp with sufficient brightness, wide spectrum, and no flicker or glare. When using it, turn on other lights in the room to ensure sufficient brightness. Ensure a balanced diet and ensure that you get at least 10 hours of sleep a day.