[뉴스투데이=최정호 기자] Medical research reports are continuing that summer vacation can worsen children’s health. This is because vacations can hinder children’s growth and development because it is difficult to maintain a regular life unlike during the school year.
In particular, it was found that the culture of dependence on digital devices is having a big effect on children due to the impact of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 25th, the proportion of at-risk children (3-9 years old) who are overdependent on smartphones last year was 28.4%, up 5.5% from 2019 (22.9), before Corona 19.
■ Can slow down eye health and concentration development
As children use digital devices more frequently, the part of the body that is most affected is the eyes. If you focus on images for a long time in the growing period, when your eyes are not fully developed, your eyes may become dry and your field of view may become narrow.
The problem is that even when children have eye health problems, they rarely recognize themselves and tell their parents.
If you miss the right time to deal with eye health problems, it negatively affects the development of physical motor skills and academic ability.
In particular, there is a high risk that videos and games have a bad influence on brain development by themselves. When you are immersed in digital media, your brain becomes sensitive to only different stimuli. The brain accustomed to strong stimuli fails to develop the prefrontal cortex, which is essential for emotional regulation, attention, and concentration formation.
■ You should pay attention to exercise and nutrition that help brain development
According to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under the age of 2 are completely prohibited from using digital devices, and children aged 2-5 years are advised to use smartphones and computers within one hour and for school-age children within 2-5 hours.
It is also a good idea to make a vacation plan. If you set and follow a daily activity plan, such as exercise, rest, study, and Internet use, you can naturally accept digital device use as part of your daily routine.
During vacation, it is good to encourage them to engage in sports that involve a lot of physical activity, such as swimming, cycling, and soccer, as a hobby. Regular exercise promotes the development of the prefrontal cortex and promotes the release of the happy hormone serotonin.
Accordingly, it seems to be necessary to pay attention to the intake of nutrients that help children’s eye and brain development. Omega-3 is an important component of brain, nervous and retinal tissue. If your child refuses foods rich in omega-3, such as nuts or blue-backed fish, you should supplement the amount with a separate health functional food.
Above all, it is important to check whether omega-3 for children uses raw materials that relieve the worries of heavy metals. ‘Omega-3 DHA·EPA’ of ‘Minimax Jungle’, a health functional food brand specializing in children, contains only refined fish oil extracted from anchovy living in the clean waters of Chile.
It is a product that has been certified for safety by handling only raw materials certified by influential organizations such as the ‘International Fish Oil Certification Program’ (IFOS).
In particular, as it is a product that children eat, a lot of effort was put into the taste. ‘Sour and Sweet Lemon’ and ‘Orange’ Chewable Capsules, developed after taste testing for 5-7 year olds, are good as a substitute for snacks.
Since this product is individually packaged in PTP, it is convenient to supply fresh nutrition at any time. The content of DHA (500 mg) required for children has been increased so that the brain development of growing children can be achieved smoothly.