To Children and Families Under the State of Emergency

In April 2020, the Japanese Association of Strabismus and Amblyopia, the Japanese Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology, and the Japanese Orthoptic Association issued adocumentthat says:

In these anxious times under the state of emergency,

here are important points so that your child’s eye health is not harmed.

* Today’s article also includes references to past writing.

To Children and Families Under the State of Emergency

1. Living with digital devices

With school closures and requests to stay home, we are spending more time at home.

Online learning is also spreading, and living appropriately with digital devices has become even more important.

After looking at something up close for about 20 minutes, look at something far away for 20 seconds: please try the “20-20-20 rule.”

“Digital eye strain”

○ To prevent eye strain and myopia progression (vision getting worse):

A lifestyle with “long periods of near viewing”

The “myopia boom”

○ Seeing double: “smartphone esotropia”

“Smartphone esotropia” (“cross-eyes” from overusing a smartphone)

2. About infant and child health checkups

Many of you may be worried because checkups have been canceled or postponed.

Eye tests at the 3-year-old checkup and infant checkups are an important opportunity to find amblyopia and eye diseases.

Amblyopia occurs in 1 in 50 children, and if it is not found and treated early, vision does not come up even with glasses.

Serious diseases such as congenital cataract, glaucoma, and retinal detachment become too late to treat if they are not found in infancy.

○ A 3-year-old checkup you can do at home

Answer the Japanese Association of Strabismus and Amblyopia questionnaire

あわせて読みたい

アンケートに答えしましょう | 日本弱視斜視学会

Japanese Orthoptic Association: eye health check sheet for infants

http://www.jaco.or.jp/wp-content/themes/jaco_renew/assets/pdf/check.pdf

“Amblyopia in children,” which can be found early

The difference between “amblyopia” and “low vision”

Amblyopia / the 3-year-old checkup

3. Glasses are important medical devices: get tested and prescribed at an eye clinic

Wearing appropriate glasses is very important for the development of children’s vision.

The work of an orthoptist / pediatric ophthalmology and low vision

“For nearsighted children, full-correction glasses are best”

For reimbursement of therapeutic glasses, measures such as extending the application period are in place.

http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/hf/kki/kuni.tsuchi/01-145.pdf

(For those under 9 years old)

If you have any concerns, please contact us at any time.

For those with eye concerns or running low on eye drops (state of emergency, requests to stay home)