During the health check-up at Chu Van An Secondary School (Thanh Liet ward), MSc.BS Nguyen Hoai Nam - Head of the Department of On-Demand Treatment, Hanoi Children's Hospital - informed that two prominent problems recorded in students are vision and oral health.
For vision, nearsightedness is a fairly common condition, many students have had to wear glasses. However, through screening, doctors also discovered some cases where glasses are no longer suitable for the current level of vision.
There are cases where children had their glasses measured last year, but this year the glasses are no longer suitable. Some students have strabismus and amblyopia, and need to be taken by their families for a more in-depth examination" - Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam said.
Regarding oral health, tooth decay is a common problem in children. In addition, doctors also recorded some cases of inverted joints, misaligned teeth, and teeth growing in the wrong position causing pain. In particular, there are cases where teeth grow almost out of place.
According to Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, dental and joint abnormalities if not detected and intervened during the child's development phase can affect the development of the jaw and face later. Therefore, parents need to take their children for examination when abnormal signs are detected.
At the developing age, teeth and jaw correction are usually more convenient. If it is prolonged, changes in lip shape and problems related to teeth may become more complicated, and intervention may also be more difficult," said Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam.
Parents also need to pay attention to daily dental hygiene and monitor the child's teething process. Regarding nearsightedness, besides examination, Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam assessed that taking care of and managing the time of using electronic devices is also very important.
At school age, children are increasingly exposed to computers, tablets, and phones for studying, entertainment, and participating in social activities. Therefore, parents need to monitor and manage device use time, avoiding child abuse, especially in the evening.
Discussing the condition of nearsightedness in children, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh - Head of the Outpatient Department, Hanoi Eye Hospital - recommends that parents should encourage children to increase outdoor activities, have regular eye exams and limit the time of using electronic devices. At the same time, children can follow the 20-20-20 rule to help their eyes rest: After each 20 minutes of close-eyed vision, spend 20 seconds looking away about 6m. The screen should also be placed about 20 degrees lower than the eye level.
