As we move out of the fog of the pandemic, we can all once again the beauty of the Australian summer and everything that goes with it. One of those being cricket season!

 

But a warning to parents to protect children’s eyes from the harsh summer sun during the summer cricket season with hours of UV exposure. A child’s eye lens is not as mature and cannot filter the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays as easily as an adult’s. This puts them at an increased risk of greater eye damage and serious eye disease, which can lead to vision loss and eventually blindness.

 

Dr Alina Zeldovich, Eye Surgeon and Clinical Lecturer at Sydney University has said, “We have seen a sharp increase in the number of children presenting with eye damage caused by UV exposure, which is unsurprising given that UV levels have increased dramatically over recent decades. The level of eye protection needed now is much greater than it was in the past, and so parents and schools need to be even more vigilant in ensuring that children’s eyes are protected. Children should wear suitable hats and sunglasses whenever they are outdoors.”

 

Being outdoors has many health benefits for growing bodies and children’s eyes actually need exposure to daylight to prevent or slow the development of myopia (near sightedness). The good news is that good quality sunglasses will still let light through, but will protect children from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) recommendations for sunglasses:

• are rated Category 3 of the Australian Standards for UV protection;

• have a wraparound frame, designed to minimise unfiltered side light entering the eye;

• have lenses with UV 400 protection;

• have lens coatings to block reflected light from entering the eye; and

• have polarised lenses.

 

So no need to keep the kids inside, just protect their eyes as you would their skin when they are outdoors playing sport or just having fun in the sun!

 

Pyewear sunglasses have your kids covered this Cricket Season! Polarised, impact-resistant and 100% UVA UVB protection and great styles and colours your kids will love to wear.

 

Sources:

• “Ophthalmologists warn of the impact of UV exposure on children’s eye health”, RANZCO, Published November 29, 2018 (https://ranzco.edu/news/ophthalmologists-warn-of-the-impact-of-uv-exposure-on-childrens-eye-health/)

• “Position Statement_Eye Protection” (2006) by Cancer Council Australia in partnership with Eye Research Australia

• Ripps, David, President and CEO Younger Optics, ODMA Basic Lens Dispensing, 2011

• Research conducted by Professor Minas Coroneo, UNSW published in American Journal of Opthamology 2006

• ABC Health and Wellbeing: Do kids need to wear sunglasses?, Dr Michael Jones, published 27 March, 2012 (https://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2012/03/27/3459094.htm)

• All About Vision, “Buying kid's sunglasses? Here's what to look for”, by Erinn Morgan; reviewed by Gary Heiting, OD, published March 2020, updated June 2020 (https://www.allaboutvision.com/en-au/sunglasses/kids/)