In recent days, the ophthalmology departments of the 455th Hospital of the PLA and New Vision Eye Hospital have treated 7 children with myopia, with the cause of the condition being attributed to nutritional excess. At a special seminar yesterday, Min Hongbo, Director of the Ophthalmology Department at the 455th Hospital of the PLA, pointed out that in addition to the popularization of computers and early cultural education, which can lead to poor vision in children due to amblyopia, nutritional excess in children can also cause myopia.
Min Hongbo pointed out that as family living standards have generally improved, parents give their children many high-fat, high-calorie foods, while vitamins and minerals are generally lacking. Since vitamins A and calcium are essential elements for eyeball development, a deficiency can increase intraocular pressure, leading to the eyeball protruding externally and the axial length elongating, forming myopia. This is also one of the important inducing factors for why many children, despite having no organic lesions in their eyes, still exhibit poor vision such as amblyopia.
Regarding the causes of poor vision in children, an expert from New Vision Eye Hospital said that for children with amblyopia, the younger the age and the earlier the treatment, the better the effect. Parents should have their children's eyes examined every 2 to 3 months for a cycloplegic refraction, or at least once a year, to detect amblyopia and other eye diseases in a timely manner. In addition, parents should educate their children on proper eye care, paying attention to reading intervals, distance, and lighting, doing eye exercises, looking into the distance, and getting more outdoor exercise. Especially for children who already have myopia or are at risk of developing it due to a family history, they should not be picky eaters, have a balanced diet, eat less sweets, and pay attention to consuming nutrients closely related to eye health in their daily diet.