[Click! Health] Harsh Summer Sun... Should Children Wear Sunglasses Too?

Summer is a season when family outdoor activities increase, but it is also a time when heat and sunlight become stronger. Many guardians wonder whether it is appropriate to put sunglasses on their children to protect their eyes. However, experts advise that while strong ultraviolet rays can harm eye health, children under 10 years old may benefit from some exposure to UV rays in suppressing the progression of myopia, and prolonged wearing of sunglasses can have adverse effects on children with amblyopia, so caution is necessary.

A child is looking at the sunlight.
Photo by Kim Eye Hospital

Adults generally wear sunglasses to avoid strong ultraviolet rays. Strong UV rays accelerate eye aging and, with prolonged exposure, can damage the retina located inside the eye. In severe cases, it can directly or indirectly affect eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and vision deterioration.

However, children under 10 years old are different. Research shows that sufficient outdoor activity and natural sunlight exposure promote the secretion of melanin and dopamine, which helps suppress the progression of myopia. Therefore, UV rays are not necessarily harmful to growing children.

Moreover, wearing sunglasses blocks certain wavelengths of light, which can reduce contrast sensitivity of visible objects and make their outlines appear blurrier than usual. This can negatively affect form vision development and may adversely impact children with amblyopia. This is why sunglasses are generally not recommended for children below school age.

However, it is important to remember that excessive exposure to strong UV rays for prolonged periods requires caution for both adults and children. Strong light like sunlight can damage macular photoreceptors, so it is best to avoid looking directly at it. Therefore, children should wear hats to block UV rays. Also, briefly wearing sunglasses for photography or fashion purposes does not significantly affect eye health.

Kim Daehee, a specialist at the Pediatric Strabismus and Ophthalmology Center of Kim Eye Hospital, said, “Strong UV rays can affect vision development, so it is important to cultivate habits from an early age to protect the eyes from sunlight damage.” He added, “However, before the age of 10, when vision development is active and incomplete, it is better to wear hats rather than sunglasses, and from around 10 to 13 years old, when the impact on vision development is less, wearing sunglasses for UV protection is not a big problem.”