Why children’s glasses should provide the best UV protection

What should all parents know about protecting children’s eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR)?

Most parents know how important it is to protect children with sunscreen when they play outside. However, the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on the eyes are often neglected. BETTER VISION explains how sunglasses and prescription glasses with UV protection can protect your child’s vision.

• Table of Contents
  • Children need to play outside
  • Dangers associated with being in the sun
  • What is ultraviolet radiation (UVR)?
  • Why are children more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation?
  • Protection of the child from UV radiation
  • Don’t forget to protect the child’s eyes too!
  • Protection of children’s skin

Children need to play outside

Spending time outdoors is an important part of a child’s development. Who wouldn’t love contact and strengthening relationships with children while playing outdoor sports and games together, during walks or picnics in the park.

In addition to learning to appreciate nature, getting fresh air, and balancing screen time with outdoor relaxation, kids also get some much-needed physical exercise. Being outdoors can also boost the immune system, promote healthy sleep and improve children’s moods. ¹ Research also shows that children who spend time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia. ²

In addition, the child’s body needs the sun to produce vitamin D, which plays an important role in bone development. ¹

Dangers associated with being in the sun

Being in the sun can be very beneficial for your child, but it is important to be aware of the risks of excessive sun exposure.

As much as 95 to 97% of ultraviolet radiation that hits the earth’s surface penetrates deep into the skin, where it can contribute to skin cancer and accelerated skin aging. Excessive sun exposure can also damage the eyes and over time cause eye diseases such as photokeratitis, photoaging (dermatoheliosis) and cataracts. ¹

As a parent, you naturally want the best for your child, and sending them outside to play can be confusing because of the dangers involved. The good news is that with the right UV protection, you don’t have to worry about being outdoors. To better understand what UV protection is, let’s take a look at what ultraviolet radiation actually is.

What is ultraviolet radiation (UVR)?

The sun emits visible light, heat and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR is divided into three spectral regions (types) – UVA, UVB and UVC.

The sun’s rays penetrate the atmosphere, with the ozone layer, water vapor, carbon dioxide and oxygen absorbing all UVC rays and about 90% of UVB rays. The rest of the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth consists of UVA rays and a small percentage of UVB rays. Ultraviolet radiation is present every day of the year, in all seasons, even when it is cloudy.

Ultraviolet radiation is measured in nanometers (nm) and has a defined wavelength between 100 to 400 nm. These numbers will come in handy when we talk about UV protection standards below.

Why are children more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation?

Your child can get a painful sunburn after being outside all day, which is a direct result of prolonged exposure to UV rays. In addition, UVA and UVB radiation are known causes of skin cancer3 and eye diseases. Children are more sensitive to UV damage for several reasons:

• Children like to spend time outdoors and are therefore exposed to UV radiation three times more than adults on average. If we measure total UV exposure up to age 60, 40 to 50% of that exposure occurs before a child reaches age 20. ⁴
• The skin contains a natural protective pigment called Melanin. ⁵This pigment effectively absorbs light and can disperse absorbed UV radiation in the skin. Children’s skin contains less melanin.
• The eye lens protecting the eye is more transparent in children. As a result, in children under 10 years of age, more than 75% of UV radiation is transmitted through the lens of the eye. For people over 25 years of age, this value reaches 10% of UV radiation. ⁶

Children are more sensitive to UV radiation. Do everything you can to know how to protect your children’s skin and eyes.

Protection of the child from UV radiation

Research shows that children’s sun protection habits and behavior are highly dependent on parental example and advice, even as they get older and start making their own decisions. ⁷ This is great news for parents!

Don’t give up, even if your child doesn’t like sunglasses or your toddler keeps fidgeting when you want to apply sunscreen. Ultimately, your guidance and persistence can improve your child’s overall health.

The UV Index was invented to help people protect themselves more effectively from UV radiation. Get into the habit of watching the UV index, especially when your child is going to be spending more time outside than usual, such as when going on a school trip. Information about the UV index in your area can be found in the weather forecast or on the web. Follow the table below:

Use the UV Index to better protect your child from harmful UV rays. Remember that bright surfaces such as sand, water and snow will increase your UV exposure and should be handled with care around them.

Don’t forget to protect the child’s eyes too!

You’ve probably read several parenting magazines and websites, baby health blogs, and social media posts on the topic of skin care. It’s great to have an overview of skin care. However, what we often overlook is the fact that excessive UV radiation can also be harmful to the eyes.

 

As already mentioned, the eye lens of a child transmits more UV rays than the lens of an adult. The sun can cause serious damage at an early age, which can manifest over a long period of time in the form of cataracts (causes 48% of the world’s blindness) or premature aging of the skin.

 

In addition to long-term damage, your child can also burn their eyes (photokeratitis), which is very painful. Of course, prevention comes first, Fr  first aid in case of burnt eyes however, you can read it here.

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How to protect your child’s eyes from UV radiation

One of the best ways to stop or slow the development of a variety of eye diseases is to wear clear or tinted eyeglass lenses designed to block harmful UV rays and high-energy visible light.9 Unfortunately, current standards for UV protection in eyeglass lenses vary widely, and the UV standard protection for clear lenses does not cover the entire spectrum of ultraviolet radiation. For this reason, all parents should be aware of what real UV protection really means.

 

World Health Organization and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) rdo recommend UV protection up to a wavelength of 400 nm, which blocks 100% of UV rays (as already mentioned, the maximum wavelength of UV radiation is 400 nm).

 

Most eyeglass lenses only protect against UV radiation up to a wavelength of 380 nm, meaning that the remaining UVR will easily penetrate your child’s eyes. It may seem like a small difference, but the radiance between the 380 and 400 nm wavelengths is much more intense.

 

Talk to your optician about  spectacle lenses offering protection up to a wavelength of up to 400 nm.

Sunglasses with UV protection

Children’s sunglasses come in many attractive forms, but keep in mind that they are more than just a trendy accessory. Protecting children’s eyes from the sun is a serious matter. Just as you choose a good high SPF sunscreen carefully, choose carefully too  quality sunglasses. Below are some tips on how to buy the best kids sunglasses:

 

• The first and most important thing is to check if you are buying sunglasses with UV protection. The lenses must be CE-marked and block up to 400 nm (you can usually tell by the UV400 sticker on the glasses, or you can ask the optician).
• It exists the difference between glare protection and UV protection. All dark lenses block or moderate some of the visible sunlight (bright light or unpleasant light reflections), however, only eyeglass lenses with UV protection up to 400 nm can completely block UV radiation.
• If your child enjoys water sports or skiing, you may want to consider polarized lenses. However, you can find the most suitable solution with your optician.
• For safety reasons, children’s sunglasses should be fitted with plastic lenses, which are light and more durable.

Glasses with UV protection – choose lenses with 400 nm protection

Many children wear prescription glasses every day to help them see better. But did you know that some clear eyeglass lenses can also effectively block harmful UV rays?

 

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, there is no clear industry standard for UV protection, and parents should be aware of the following:

 

• The general industry standard for clear eyeglass lenses is 380 nm, which does not completely block UV radiation to the extent recommended by the World Health Organization.
• Only 1 in 5 eyeglass lenses block UV radiation up to a wavelength of 400 nm (the maximum wavelength of UV radiation). In other words, 4 out of 5 children’s eyeglass lenses block UV radiation only partially.
• If the clear lenses block up to 400 nm wavelength, they not only protect your child’s eyes, but also the sensitive surrounding skin, so you don’t need to apply sunscreen to the eyelids.

What to look for when buying children’s sunglasses

When you go with your child for an eye examination, you will receive a large amount of information. However, at least you now understand the importance of lenses with UV protection.

Below is a short checklist for buying children’s prescription glasses:

• Insist on eyeglass lenses with UV protection.Clear ZEISS spectacle lenses with UVProtect technology they will give your child’s eyes the same level of protection as premium sunglasses.
• The frames of children’s glasses should fit comfortably. Selection of suitable trims you should not underestimate.
• As with children’s sunglasses, children’s prescription glasses must be light – for safety reasons, plastic lenses are recommended in case of breakage.
• If your child is overly active or plays sports, ask your optician for more information about specialized lens coatings or prescription sunglasses.

Protection of children’s skin

Once you’ve found the ideal sunglasses or glasses with UV protection for your child, the rest is simple. Watch the UV index and follow these tips to protect your skin:

 

• Apply a sun cream with a protection factor (SPF) of at least 50 half an hour before being in the sun. Choose a water-resistant sun cream suitable for sports and water activities.
• Dress your child in sun protective clothing. Burns can be effectively prevented by long sleeves and clothing that covers the neck, collarbones, shoulders and legs.
• Invest in a good sun hat that covers your face and eyes. Wide-brimmed hats and caps with a neck flap are more effective than caps.
• Make sure that the cap fits the child well. Most hats have strings, straps, or bands that can be tightened to keep the hat from falling off when kids are running around and playing.
• Young children should not be exposed to the sun because their skin is not yet sufficiently developed. Most strollers are equipped with shading covers as standard, which can be closed to protect the child from the sun. Therefore, use these covers to provide your child with perfect protection outdoors. Apply sunscreen to your child even if he is in the shade.