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Parents are putting their kids eyes at risk by letting them play on tablets – so they can have a lie in

A staggering 15 per cent of tots under the age of two are given smartphones by their parents

PARENTS are risking the sight of kids as young as one by letting them play on computer tablets — so they can lie in.

A fifth admit buying their child a device to keep them busy so they can sleep in late.

 Parents are putting their kids eyesight at risk by letting them play on iPads
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Parents are putting their kids eyesight at risk by letting them play on iPadsCredit: Getty - Contributor

And 15 per cent of youngsters start using smartphones and tablets between ages one and two.

Nine in ten parents admitted relying on tablets to babysit kids when they were too busy to entertain them, an Optical Ex­press poll found.

The optican chain’s spokeswoman Noelle Hamilton said: “Several eye issues are associated with using digital screens.

“Your blink rate, usually 15-20 times per minute, can reduce by up to half when you focus closely on a screen. That can cause dry spots and blurred vision.”

The survey found that children of ten and under spent 63 hours — equal to 2½ full days — on tablets or smartphones over the summer holidays.

 A fifth of parents admitted to giving their kids a device to keep them busy
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A fifth of parents admitted to giving their kids a device to keep them busyCredit: Getty - Contributor
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