Tips on promoting good eye care in your child
When using the computer:
- Keep monitor screen at least 50cm away from your child’s face
- Adjust the monitor screen to reduce glare from other sources of light
When watching television:
- Ensure adequate lighting in the room
- Ensure child sits at least 2 to 3 meters away from the television
- Ensure the height of the television screen is at child’s eye level or below.
- Discourage child from lying down while watching television.
When reading:
- Encourage child to hold books at least 30cm away
- Child should sit upright in a comfortable chair at a table
- Try to choose books with bigger prints
- Ensure adequate lighting in the room
- Avoid excessive glare shining directly onto the child’s face.
After 30 to 40 minutes of near work, you should encourage child to take vision breaks by looking at distant objects for 3 to 5 minutes. Above all, to promote good overall health in your child, you should also ensure that he/she gets a well balanced diet, has regular outdoor activities and gets at least 8 hours of sleep everyday.
Yearly eye examinations are important to detect any vision problems early. Corrective visual aids like glasses, when required will help the eye to focus better.
