Healthy kids experience acute eye symptoms after online classes: Study

USA: According to a study published in the Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, following virtual school, healthy youngsters had severe eye problems.

This study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Jordan L. Hamburger who wanted to look into acute ocular problems in healthy youngsters following a usual day of virtual school, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 110 healthy youngsters aged 10 to 17 were recruited in the research, all of whom were enrolled in a full-time or hybrid virtual school. Children having a history of CNS or ocular disease, recent concussions, reported impaired vision, convergence insufficiency, history of orthoptic treatment, strabismus, amblyopia, or learning disabilities were excluded from the study. Demographics, family and personal ocular history, and virtual school criteria were gathered as background information. Before and after a virtual school session, eligible students performed a modified convergence insufficiency symptom survey (CISS) and an asthenopia survey. The variations in symptomatology before and after school were determined using the CISS and asthenopia survey symptoms.

The results of this study stated as follow:

1. The average CISS score increased from 5.17 before school to 9.82 after, with 61% of children seeing an increase in convergence insufficiency symptoms after school and 17% suffering severe convergence insufficiency symptoms.

2. Asthenopia symptom ratings increased from 1.58 to 2.74, with 53% of youngsters experiencing an increase in symptoms.

3. Twelve of the fifteen CISS questions showed significant increases, as did four of the five asthenopia items.

In conclusion, with the findings of this study indicating the severe impact of virtual learning on the children, modifications, and tactics, such as frequent breaks and relaxing the accommodative reflex by focusing on distant sights, might be recommended by eye care practitioners to alleviate the ocular symptoms caused by prolonged screen usage.

Reference: 

Jordan L. Hamburger, Judith B. Lavrich, Alexander M. Rusakevich, Jillian A. Leibowitz, Michael D. Zhitnitsky, Qiang Zhang, Ajay C. Makkena, Catherine K. Liu, Glenn J. Oh, James E. Sharpe, Kammi B. Gunton, The visual consequences of virtual school: acute eye symptoms in healthy children, Journal of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, 2022, ISSN 1091-8531, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaapos.2021.10.003.