‘Increased Screen Time Leads to Alarming Rise in ‘Squint Eye’ Cases and Myopia Progression Among Children’
Dr.Agarwals Hospital in Chennai sees 5 times year on year increase in the number of acute onset comitant esotropia - a sudden and unexpected outbreak of ‘squint eye’ in the last two years of COVID-19 pandemic; The onset of myopia (‘nearsightedness’) among children has been increasing by about 25% while the annual myopia progression has been abnormally high at 100% Chennai, 5 th August , 2021: There has been a five times year-on-year increase in the number of ‘acute onset comitant esotropia’, a sudden and unexpected outbreak of ‘squint eye’ cases, among children in the city in the past two years. Equally alarming is the 100% myopia progression and 25% increase in the onset of myopia every year in the past two years, according to Dr. Manjula Jayakumar, Senior Pediatric Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Chennai. Dr. Manjula Jayakumar, Senior Pediatric Ophthalmologist The main causes are increased screen time and lifestyle changes of children character...