Children's eyesight can be damaged by sunlight

August 2, 2010

Children who are exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time may be at risk for long-term eye damage, including clouded lenses in adulthood, macular degeneration and growths on the surface of the white part of the eye, according to EarthTimes.org.

Children in their first year of life are particularly at risk, and should not be exposed to bright sun light at all, according to the source. For children under one year, approximately 90 percent of long-wave UV radiation from the sun reaches the retina.

"Children's eyes have larger pupils and clearer lenses [than adults' eyes], pediatrician Ulrich Fegeler, a national spokesman for Germany's Professional Association of Children's and Young People's Physicians, told the news source.

Parents should be sure to discourage children from staring directly at the sun, as this can cause irreparable burns to the eyes. Sand, snow, water and asphalt can cause intense reflections that can burn a child's corneas, the news provider reports.

During the summer, parents must take special precautions to protect their children's eyes. According to the American Optometric Association, the most effective sunglasses block out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.