Children's Sunglasses

Children need adequate protection against UV rays in the sunshine by wearing sunglasses. In general, sunglasses for children as well as adults should offer 100% UVA and UVB protection. Without proper protection, the eyes can be easily damaged by excessive UV rays. In fact, children need UV protection even more than adults. This is quite understandable because children's eyes are still under development.

Some institutes have revealed results of studies focusing on the damage on children's eyes caused by harmful UV exposure. According to the American Optometric Association, approximately 80% of UV exposure shows up by the age of 18. This accumulation of UV exposure in children can seriously damage the retina. Unfortunately, retinal damage will not appear until an old age. Children and parents are much likely to neglect this damage caused by sunlight.

An affiliate of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Foundation called the Beverly Hills Vision Center also offers warning signs of UV light. Children under 10 years of age is significantly more susceptible to retinal damage than an adult. Furthermore, UV exposure is believed to be a leading cause of blindness and other ocular diseases in old people. Conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration are closely associated with UV overexposure. In serious cases, macular degeneration may lead permanent vision loss.

With enough awareness of the harmful UV rays, parents should consider sunglasses as a necessity for their children. On the market, there are numerous kids' sunglasses that come in a wide range of colors, frame shapes, celebrity styles and so forth. Sunglasses not only offer UV protection, but also serve as an attractive accessory. For those kids who reject sunglasses due to an appearance concern, parents have the responsibility to set up an example by trying on a pair that is attractive.