Overexposure To Electronic Devices May Lead To Vision Problems

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — As summer winds down and families are getting ready to send their kids back to school, North Texas eye doctors are sending a strong warning to parents.

According to them, unchecked eyes could harm your child's performance in class.

It's no secret that many children spent their summer face first into a mobile electronic device like a tablet. The over exposure to those devices according to doctors can lead to vision problems.

Dr. Michael Hunt of Pediatric Eye Specialists in Fort Worth said, "Lack of outdoor light and a lot of near work especially with the new computers and handheld devices we are using today may potentiate, and make that near sightedness get worse more quickly."

So now he is encouraging parents add an eye exam screening to their children's back to school routine.

Julie Burbach a mother of 3 from Keller says she checks her kids vision once a year in the summer as is recommended. Her 12-year old Kaitlyn is near sighted and this year she needed new glasses.

Burbach said "I think it's important to do that so that when school starts she isn't struggling."

Unlike other children, the Burbach kids are limited on how much time they spent on mobile devices. Their mother says she wants to make sure their eye sight isn't negatively affected by those devices.

Instead, she encourages them to spend more time outdoors and in the sunlight. Which is something doctors also recommend.

Dr. Hunt said "Children who are exposed to more outdoor light and spend less time with handheld devices...may actually have slowing of their near sightedness."

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