More than three million children in the UK are expected to develop myopia, or short-sightedness, by the time they turn 18, according to a forecast from the College of Optometrists. The projection, released this year, has drawn attention because myopia in children often goes unnoticed. A child rarely reports that their eyesight has changed, and in many cases they may not have realised it themselves.
Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu, a clinical advisor at the College, said myopia can have a lasting effect on a child’s eye health, learning and development. The College wants parents to be aware of the issue sooner rather than later, ideally before the problem has properly taken hold.
The trend is not new. Earlier research from the College and Ulster University found that myopia is now more than twice as common in UK children as it was in the 1960s, and that it most often begins between the ages of six and thirteen. Screens are frequently blamed, along with fewer hours spent outdoors. Lockdown made both worse.
“Most parents I speak to don’t see it as a vision problem at first,” said Sid Sethi, founder of Manchester-based eyewear brand Specscart. “It’s a kid sat too close to the telly, or a book held right up against their nose, or a child who says they can’t read the school whiteboard. Everyone assumes it’s a phase. Sometimes it is. Often it isn’t, and you can’t tell by looking at them.”
Optometrists give fairly consistent advice. Book a first sight test around age four, keep up the follow-ups even when nothing seems wrong, and watch for squinting, headaches after screen time or a child sitting far too close to things. Time outdoors is also mentioned often, as it is one of the few habits linked to slowing myopia down.
If a child is found to be short-sighted, the next step is usually simple. A proper pair of prescription glasses, fitted early, helps them see the board and get on with school like everyone else. Waiting rarely helps.
“If there’s one thing I’d want parents to take away from this, it’s that nipping this in the bud is easy,” Sethi said. “Book an eye test. If your child needs prescription glasses, get them. Then keep checking every so often. Look after their eyes with an eye test as you’d look after their teeth at the dentist.”
Specscart, an optical disruptor, designs fashionable glasses that are 70% cheaper than the high street. The eyewear is made in-house at its state-of-the-art glazing lab in Manchester and sold through three bricks-and-mortar shops and online. The company offers 24-hour dispatch, transparent pricing, and try-before-you-buy home trials on its range of specs, sunglasses and sports eyewear. Its free worldwide shipping has won customers in 132 countries. With free eye tests for all, more than 2,000 styles and the widest lens bank in the UK, Specscart aims to change the way people see eyewear. To find out more, visit www.specscart.co.uk.
