A third of children have been left short-sighted due to coronavirus lockdowns and increased screen time.
A third of children are short-sighted
Data from five million kids in 50 countries shows that myopia was found to have tripled between 1990 and 2023.
The highest rates of myopia were found in Asia, as 85 per cent of children in Japan and 73 per cent of youngsters in South Korea were affected by the condition.
The rise in myopia - which begins during childhood and worsens until the eyes stop growing at around the age of 20 - was particularly bad after the Covid pandemic as diagnosis rates rose by six per cent in three years.
The researchers wrote in the British Journal of Ophthalmology: "Concerns have been raised about the potential negative impact of lockdowns on eye health.
"This is due to the increase in screen time that results from extended periods indoors."