Eyes are one of the most precious gifts that we’ve received from god. Hence, it is our duty to maintain a good health of the eyes. A shocking news from China recently made headlines wherein it was reported that a newborn baby lost his vision because of excessive exposure to camera flashlight. Since parents were unaware of the harsh effects of light on his delicate eyes, it leads to a life-long deformity in the newborn. As per the American Optometry Association (AOA), every 1 in 4 children has a vision-related condition and approximately 60% of learning disabilities are associated with vision problems.

Eye problems in children can lead to behavioral, physical and developmental problems including neurological issues. If not diagnosed and treated at the right time, the problems like strabismus, amblyopia may lead to a complete loss of vision. Children may also face issue with depth perception, poor hand-eye coordination and other serious issues like glaucoma, retinal disease etc.

Eyes of children are highly vulnerable and it is of utmost importance to take special care of their vision. Here are some tips that will make sure that your kids’ eyes are happy and healthy!

Lighting in the kids’/study room:Appropriate lighting is necessary to maintain a good eyesight. Make sure that the kids’ room is lighted properly and they do not have a problem while reading. Avoid placing overhead lighting in kids’ room and also instruct your children to keep their books at least 30-40 cm away from their eyes.

Healthy and nutritious diet:Inculcate Vitamin A rich vegetables and fruits in your diet. Yellow, orange and green vegetables and fruits are good for the eyes. Try to reduce the sugar intake in children.

Sleep Right: Make sure that the kids are having at least 8 hours of peaceful sleep. Try to remove all the distractions that may disturb kids’ sound sleep.

20/20/20 Rule: Teach the famous 20/20/20 rule to your children for their happy and healthy eyes. Tell them to take a break every 20 minutes and look 20 feet away for 20 seconds especially while sitting in front of television or computers.

Protect your eyes: While playing sports like cricket, swimming, tennis etc., make sure to protect the eyes of your kids’ to avoid any serious injury. Make them wear a hat or sunglasses when going out in the dust.

Regular Eye check-up:Regularly visit an eye specialist to monitor the eye sight of your kids. Test for long sightedness, short sightedness, astigmatism, amblyopia should be conducted to keep a check on the kids’ vision.