Parents are urged not to give mobile phones to their children and instead spend time with them, as the use of mobile phones is causing young children to develop myopia, a condition that weakens long-distance vision.
This revelation was made during a seminar organized by the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Mughal Eye Trust Hospital in Lahore.
Head of the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department, Professor Seema Qayoom, stated that 40 percent of children under the age of 10 have already developed myopia, and the number is feared to increase by 14 percent each year.
She explained that in myopia, the structure of the eye changes children continuously stare at mobile phone screens without blinking and often rub their eyes.
Professor Seema Qayoom further revealed that due to excessive use of mobile phones, many children have developed severe nearsightedness, requiring glasses with prescriptions ranging from minus 7 to minus 10.
