BHUBANESWAR: With in-person classes for all in schools across Odisha yet to be resumed, children, as young as five to six years of age, have started complaining of headache and eye problems owing to prolonged screen time and lack of physical activities during the pandemic.
“My seven-year-old son has been complaining of getting a headache every evening. Initially, I thought he was malingering, but later I realised he is really ill. I took him to the doctor who said it is due to spending long hours before the screen. He advised rest for eyes and to limit the screen time to one to two hours a day. But with restricted screen time, my son will miss many classes as all of them are being conducted online,” said a worried Shipra Mohanty.
Mohanty said her son, Aditya, a Class 2 student, starts his day with a two-hour online class at 7am. His activity classes continue from 11am to noon. He then attends art/chess/music classes online in the afternoon for two hours, followed by a virtual tuition. During the breaks, he plays for over an hour on mobile and watches TV.
Doctors said many children have started complaining of headache, neck pain, loss of appetite, dizziness and vomiting amid the pandemic. Four out of 10 children are suffering from different types of headaches. Sedentary lifestyle, lack of social interactions, excessive screen time and junk food are some of the most common reasons for headache among youngsters. “They need adequate sleep, a healthy diet, proper dehydration, physical exercise and relaxation,” said Dr SS Mohapatra, a senior paediatrician.
According to the World Health Organization, for children up to five years, screen time should not be more than an hour. Kids between 5 and 10 years should have screen time between one to 1.5 hours per day, while it should be up to two hours daily for those aged between 11 and 13.
Sometimes pressure on eyes, leading to myopia, causes headache, doctors said. “Excessive use of digital devices is causing computer digital syndrome. Many teenagers and children are being diagnosed with it. Parents need to visit an ophthalmologist as soon as their kid complains of headache, neck pain or pain in the eyes,” said Dr Rita Das, an eye-specialist at AMRI Hospitals.
