Hanoi (VNA) – More than 40 percentof students aged from 7 to 13 in big cities such as Hanoi and HCM City sufferfrom eye defects, with short-sightedness accounting for two-thirds of cases,according to health sector statistics.

Le Viet Son, head of Bach Mai Hospital’sOphthalmology Department, said the main cause was insufficient light or wrongposture when learning, an increase in the use of computers and television and along school day with little time for outdoor activities.

Long learning hours, reading and playing gamesonline caused an increase in eye-related defects, Son said.

Hanoi Eye Hospital was very crowded on Saturdaybecause a lot of children came here for eyesight tests and treatment, the Kinhte & Do thi (Economic & Urban Affairs) newspaper quoted Nguyen ThanhNga, a mother of an 11-year-old-child, as saying.  

Most of them were diagnosed withshort-sightedness, Nga said.

Hoang My Hanh, an optician at a shop in Ton ThatTung Street, said the number of children coming to the shop increased sharplyduring the holidays, particularly in summer.

Son also said many families only take their kidsto hospitals when they have suffered from short-sightedness for a long time

 “I’m so busy and forgot to take mydaughter to see the doctor earlier so now he suffers from seriousshort-sightedness,” Nguyen Anh Tuan, a father of an eighth-grade student, said.

Meanwhile, parents’ knowledge of eye defects islimited and in many cases they misunderstand optical diseases, Son added.

Vo Thi Que from Hanoi’s Phu Xuyen District, amother of a ten-year-old child, said her child suffered from short-sightednessbut does not wear glasses.

She planned to take him to see a doctor in BacNinh Province for eye treatment using acupuncture, the newspaper reported.

Many families also took their children tooptical shops to check eyesight and buy glasses, despite the shops notnecessarily employing qualified doctors or selling quality glasses, Son said.

To protect children’s eyesight, Son said parentsshould let their kids play outdoors as much as possible along with limitationson reading and use of electronic devices.

Children also need to have eye tests twice ayear or when they show signs of poor eyesight. -VNA