June 6, 2026 marks the 31st National Eye Care Day, themed "Eye Health for All." Yet a worrying reality: myopia among Chinese children and teens has surpassed 50% โ one in two wears glasses.
Red alert: more "little glasses" every year
- Primary school: myopia rate about 36%.
- Junior high: about 71.6% โ over seven in ten.
- Senior high: about 81% โ the vast majority.
Even more concerning, the myopia rate among 6-year-olds has reached 14.5%; kindergarten and primary school are the most critical stages. The national goal: by 2030, keep 6-year-old myopia near 3%, primary under 32%, junior high under 60%, senior high under 70%.
What is "far-sight reserve"? Your child's vision "savings"
Every newborn has a "vision bank balance": small eyes and short axes mean natural far-sightedness of about +2.50 to +3.00 D. As the child grows, this reserve is spent naturally, reaching normal vision around age 12. But overuse of screens and near work drains it early โ and that is the first signal of coming myopia. The reserve level matched to age is the best predictor of myopia.
An age-by-age protection plan
- Ages 0โ3: no screens, build the base. The golden window of vision development. National guidance: no screens for under-3s, limited near work, 10+ hours of sleep, and plenty of outdoor sunlight.
- Ages 3โ6: protect the reserve. Reference reserve: 3โ5 years not below +2.05 D, age 6 not below +1.72 D. Check vision every 3โ6 months, build a refractive file, and ensure at least 2 hours outdoors daily.
- Primary school: habits for life. 2+ hours outdoors daily (or 14 weekly), two vision checks per semester, and the "one foot, one fist, one inch" reading posture. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: after 20 minutes of near work, look 20 feet (about 6 m) away for 20 seconds.
- Secondary school: prevent high myopia. For myopic children, the goal shifts to avoiding 600ยฐ+ high myopia, which raises risks of retinal detachment, cataracts and eye disease. Check refraction and eye-axis every 3 months; consider medical options such as orthokeratology (OK) lenses, defocus glasses, multifocal soft lenses or low-dose atropine.
Outdoor time: the simplest, most effective remedy
Sunlight triggers dopamine in the eye that slows axis growth โ effective even on cloudy days. Two or more hours outdoors daily can lower myopia onset by 30โ50%, and naturally relaxes the focusing muscle by letting the eyes reach into the distance.
Family guide: be the "first gatekeeper"
- Build a vision file from birth at a children's hospital or maternal-health center, tracking the far-sight reserve.
- Strictly limit screens โ none under 3, minimal for preschoolers; model good habits yourself.
- Ensure sleep and balanced nutrition โ 10+ hours of sleep and foods rich in vitamins A, C, E and dark leafy greens.
Eye Care Day's theme is a promise each parent must keep. Don't let "little glasses" block childhood. Every run outdoors, every posture reminder and every regular check-up saves precious "vision savings" for decades of bright sight. From today, take the child outside to "bathe in light," and protect that natural far-sight reserve.
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