When watching a television show, Star Dhia Adiyyusalam (5.5 years) always ran to the television screen.

"If it was pulled back, he'll be back closer to the television," said Gusti Ayu Sara (32 years) about the beginnings of children's shoes.

Seeing her movements, with a vision Ayu began to suspect his son. Especially when I saw the book, Star has a sight distance closer than the other children in general.

"If the size of the read distance of about 30 centimeters, the distance between the eyes and read the book Star by a neck only his hands," said the woman who uses glasses minus three half that.

Seeing it, Ayu then checked Star to an ophthalmologist, and his son is known to use minus lenses and cylinder. Nearsightedness, or myopia is one of vision disorders that are often experienced by children.

"Myopia or nearsightedness is caused due to heredity," said Dr. Saman SPM H CBMS S Raman, ophthalmologist at Aini Hospital, Jakarta. According to him, not because of abnormalities that dietary factors.

"If their parents use the glasses, children will be using the glasses," he explained. He said the nearsighted can not be cured through a food containing vitamin A, like carrots.

"Carrots eliminate minus only a myth," he said. Vegetables were only useful to maintain eye health, not to cure the disorders of the eye.

In addition, Raman added, nearsightedness can only be cured through surgery. "Doctors perform surgery only for specific conditions," he said. Eye Checks For eye health checks on children, the major step taken is to check the eyes.

"Checking can be done once a year, at least once in their lives," said Raman.

Except for children suffering from certain diseases such as glaucoma or increased eye pressure that causes damage to the optic nerve, eye checks carried out as recommended by doctors, two months, three months, or six months.

In children affected by myopia, the checking can be done under the age of five years. "At the age of three or four years, can be checked to determine myopia eyes," he said.

With computers, advanced Raman, children with myopia will know that he suffered a minus quantity. According to him, the children's play group, eye checks can be done manually through a letter attached to the wall.

"The most easy to read calendar," he said. In fact, checking the eye in children is not only done at the time the child has entered the age of one year, but since birth.

Your child's doctor or gynecologist can check a newborn's eyes. For example, if the newborn had pink eye. In addition, in children above one year of age, parents can see eye condition in children.

"Parents can check children's eyes, whether there is any white spots," said Dr. Julie Goddess Barliana, ophthalmologist at Cipto Mangunkusumo.

If there is, there is the possibility of child cataract disease. Maintaining eye health in children is not only done at the time the child entered a period of growth and development.

Since the womb, the child's eye health must be addressed. "Therefore, the time of pregnancy, maternal health must be maintained," he said.

Children's eye health is affected when the pregnant mother's health condition, such as premature births, venereal diseases, and pregnancies affected by a virus toxoplasma, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes.

Julie said that premature birth can come up with visual impairment in children or retinopathy of premoturity (ROP) or diseases of the retina. "We were not able to prevent premature birth.

For that, doctors obgin and pediatricians should pay attention to the eyes of the newborn so that if any abnormality, the disease can be detected immediately. "Venereal disease suffered by pregnant women can also affect eye health in babies will be born.

Babies born to mothers who suffered from venereal disease can become infected eye. As a result, the cornea can be damaged. "Venereal disease suffered by pregnant women should be treated promptly and is important for mothers to maintain cleanliness," he said.

Pregnant women with toxoplasma and rubella virus can also cause red eye in babies. Vaccines are made on the baby becomes the easiest way to maintain the health of the baby's eyes.

Measles vaccine, for example, serves to prevent damage to the cornea. To improve eye health in children, Julie says, eyes should be examined as early as possible.

"At the age of six months, parents can check on the children's eye doctor eye," he said. If the ophthalmologist is deemed too expensive, parents can do eye checks in the PHC.

Beware of Conduct In addition, parents should be alert to children's behavior is not like most kids. For example, if a child is watching TV with his head tilted way, parents should be vigilant, because there are likely to experience catching the light refraction or power does not fall precisely on the retina.

Similarly, when reading the book, if the distance of the eye with a book too close, should be checked immediately to an ophthalmologist. Julie says kids today are generally more engaged in activities in the room.

"So that the eye does not have a chance to rest," he said. Furthermore, he said currently more children absorb small objects, such as reading books, watching television, or computer.

"So that the eyes are used for accommodation too over," he said. While in school, says Julie, the eye is used to absorb the lessons given school.

After school, children are required to attend lessons, and in the evening, they must re-learn so that the eye does not have a chance to rest.

"To keep the eye muscles are not easily tired, eyes should be used to view objects in a large size,"