The eyes have it for kids
NOT JUST A FASHION ACCESSORY, SUNGLASSES SHOULD BE ON THE SAFE SUN AGENDA FOR KIDS FROM EARLY ON
GET your kids to wear sunglasses. That’s the message from eye experts who say that Australian children could fall prey to a host of vision impairments if they neglect sun protection.
Growths on the eye tissue such as pterygium and pingecula, cancers like basal cell carcinoma and cataracts are some of the illnesses that could plague the next generation if parents aren’t vigilant in keeping their kids’ eyes shielded from the sun.
The warning comes as research from Specsavers showed that less than 50 per cent of Australians had sunglasses with any kind of UV protection and 39 per cent were unsure of what level of protection their glasses provided.
As a result, making a habit of wearing filtering eyewear from an early age is critical for children.
Optometrist Greeshma Patel said eye protection needed to be a priority because the damage did not show until later in life.
“We have a lens inside our eyes and when we are children that lens gets a lot more UV light going through to damage the retina. As kids get older, the lens gets better at filtering the light,” Ms Patel said.
“It starts really young and up until the age of 10 the lens is really difficult. By adulthood the lens becomes more effective at filtering, so it’s never too early to get children to wear sunglasses.
“The conditions don’t show up until kids are a lot older. I often see adults with sun damage and I often find out that it comes from people’s childhood.”
Gen Z came out worst in sun-safe habits, with 54 per cent saying they were less likely to wear sunnies to protect themselves compared to other generations.
About 50 per cent of people weren’t aware that it was important to wear sunglasses at other times of the day, such as the afternoon, the morning, in winter and even when it was cloudy or overcast.
Ms Patel said it was important parents didn’t fall for gimmicky toy glasses when looking for sun protection for their children.
“There are a lot of toy sunglasses and that is absolutely the wrong thing to go for. Look for glasses that have a UV 400 sticker and abide by Australian standards,” she said.
“Sunglasses should be sold with a label. Getting glasses with elastics on the back can be great for toddlers and babies. Make sure to use them on the beach, or the playground or if you’re going for a walk.”
Ms Patel said due to the damaging UV rays in the country, Australians would often get cataracts a decade earlier on average as compared to those living in the northern hemisphere.