Four-Year-Old Diagnosed With Short-Sightedness After Grandma Lets Him Play With Smartphone Everyday

Studies revealed that children who use smartphones and tablets are at risk of potentially irreversible eye damage because of blue light emissions from digital devices. In fact, researchers found that every extra hour a day spent on a gadget raises a child’s risk of becoming short-sighted by three percent.

With that said, one four-year-old was diagnosed with short-sightedness after his grandmother lets him play with smartphone every day. An ophthalmologist from Tri-Service General Hospital in Taiwan shared the case study that involved the youngest patient he’s ever attended to.

According to the specialist, the boy’s parents had very little time to take care of him as they are both working, so the grandparents had to take over this responsibility.

Just like any other kids, the boy was very active that his grandparents couldn’t keep up with him. To keep him quiet, he was given a smartphone to play with every day, so he watched videos and played games for as long as he wanted.

But one day when the boy went home with his parents, he complained about having a blurry vision. After doing a check-up at the hospital, he was diagnosed with 650-degree short-sightedness.

The doctor warned the parents that looking at the phone screen at close proximity will not only cause short-sightedness, but the blue ray will also accelerate macular degeneration, which is an irreversible condition.

Eye expert Dr. Mohamed Dirani wrote in the British Journal of Ophthalmology:

“The age of smart device uptake is getting younger, with many two-year-olds spending up to two hours a day on devices.

The use and misuse of smart devices, particularly in our pediatric populations, must be closely monitored to address the emerging phenomenon of digital myopia.”

With the explosion of handheld technology in the past several years, doctors have witnessed an enormous increase in patients complaining of eye strain and dry eyes caused by excessive screen time.

While these conditions can be treated and prevented with regular screen breaks and exercise, the hazards of accrued exposure to blue light are still relatively unknown.