October 17, 2000 For Immediate Release

For Information Contact Laura Calverley 201-947-4133

Children May be at Risk for 'Computer Vision Syndrome'

(Beaverton, OREGON) Millions of children enjoy the benefits of computers at home and at school every day. Experts, however, are beginning to express concern that computers may pose hazards to children. A recent report on children and computers from the Alliance For Childhood concludes that computers can be harmful to a child's physical health and development. The risks include musculoskeletal injuries, visual strain, and myopia.

This is especially disconcerting because, unlike their parents, children now use computers from the time they are toddlers both at home and school. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost 80% of public schools had access to the Internet in 1997; by the year 2000 it is estimated that 95 percent of all public schools will be "on-line." A 1999 Roper Starch Survey estimated that the average American child is now spending about one to three hours per day on the computer.

Children may be at risk for a condition called Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, which plagues many adult computer users. The American Optometric Association (AOA) defines CVS as "the complex of eye and vision problems associated with computer use." According to the AOA, eye and vision problems are the most frequently reported health complaint in the workplace, occurring in 70-75% of computer workers. Symptoms of CVS include headaches, red eyes, itchy eyes, sore or dry eyes, fatigue, blurred vision and neck and shoulder pain. Any person, adult or child, who spends two hours or more per day working on a computer may be at risk of developing Computer Vision Syndrome.

Both the AOA and a number of optometrists believe that computers can exacerbate conditions like nearsightedness. Dr. Pia Hoenig, a pediatric optometrist and a professor and chief of the binocular-vision clinic at the University of California-Berkeley, says she has seen a significant increase of weak focusing skills in children.

In a recent cover story in U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Hoenig reported how she had historically seen these problems among heavy readers who read books before the fourth grade. "The increase has been exponential…with the rise of computers in home," she said. "Now, I'm seeing them around second grade…for computer-related problems."

Computer vision syndrome is a repetitive motion injury caused by the refocusing effort required when viewing a computer screen. A person's eyes, said Dr. Hoenig, are not suited for staring at a computer screen for hours. The words and images on a computer screen are difficult for the eye to focus on due to their poor edge definition. The eyes tend to drift out of focus to a resting point and then work to re-focus back on the screen. This cycle can happen thousands of times a day in an effort to keep the computer image sharp and steady, stressing the eye muscles and leading to eye fatigue and discomfort.

The growing incidence of repetitive stress injuries among computer users is causing businesses and the government to look more closely at computer safety. American companies already spend billions per year to diagnose and treat computer vision syndrome. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has called for a national ergonomic standard to make the workplace safer. Computer safety in the classroom is also becoming an important issue. A 1999 study by Cornell University reported that children may be at risk for repetitive stress injuries, like CVS, because school computers are often set up incorrectly. Children strain to see the monitor or reach the keyboard, developing poor posture and putting stress on their backs, necks and hands as well as their eyes.

"I've seen children as young as 6 or 7 years old that have difficulties with near work," said Dr. Hoenig.

To diagnose and treat her computer eyestrain patients, Dr. Hoenig uses a tester developed by PRIO Corporation, a company based in Beaverton, Oregon. The PRIO tester is a FDA Class One Medical Device that is suspended from the reading rod of a typical ophthalmic instrument. The tester, the only one of its kind, looks like a small computer monitor and simulates a video display. The PRIO tester allows the doctor to objectively evaluate the individual's focusing mechanism and more accurately determine whether a person requires computer-specific eyewear. Before the advent of the PRIO testing method, eye doctors had relied upon a patient's response to a standard printed eye chart, which did not replicate the same stimulus as the computer screen.

"The PRIO test gives a more accurate measurement of accommodation or focusing at the computer distance by duplicating the visual target, the computer screen," said Dr. Hoenig. "Kids do have active focusing so unless you measure it you don't know how their eyes are responding."

PRIO is presently testing a kids-only tester that will allow eye doctors to evaluate children working at the computer who don't yet read.

Children and adults experience similar symptoms when it comes to computer use, but the symptoms may not be as obvious in children.

"Parents and educators need to be made aware of the potential for such a problem," said Dr. Hoenig. "Children don't have any basis for comparison on viewing an object comfortably. They assume that the way they see is the way everybody else sees—it's not a topic of conversation. Also, children may not complain because they don't realize the computer is causing the problem or they're concerned that they will have to stop using it."

Many patients find relief with computer specific eyeglasses. The PRIO-prescribed glasses can help children sustain focus accurately on the computer screen. Computer eyewear can also be used for reading printed material at the computer, but it is not recommended for distance viewing.

Optometrists recommend that a child be given an initial eye exam at 6 months old. Studies show that only about 31% of children between 6 and 16 years old have had an eye examination in the past year.

Aside from getting proper vision care, adjusting the computer workstation specifically for the child can help prevent computer-related repetitive stress injuries. Experts recommend the following:

• Adjust the room lighting or position of the computer to eliminate reflected glare off the monitor.
• The recommended distance between the monitor and the eyes is the same for children and adults, between 18 and 26 inches.
• The monitor height should be just slightly below eye level, and the keyboard should be placed comfortably within reach so that forearms extend parallel to the floor.
• Feet should rest on a solid surface and not dangle from the chair.

"Taking frequent breaks is also a very good idea for young computer users so that their eyes are not staring at the screen distance for a long period of time," added Dr. Hoenig.

For more information on PRIO Kids!, PRIO Corporation or the PRIO Provider Network of eye doctors, call or visit the company's website at www.prio.com where an on-line version of the PRIO Kids! brochure is available.

PRIO® is a registered trademark of PRIO Corporation.