Myopia and your Child

We all want what is best for our children and that includes wanting their eyes to be as healthy as possible.  Myopia, also known as near sightedness, in children is a concern that all parents have.  There are many causes for near sightedness, ranging from genetic to environmental but there may be ways to help prevent myopia in your child.

Researchers in Australia have recently found that spending a few hours outdoors each day could help your children from developing near sightedness.   Exposure to the sun for two to three hours a day will help regulate the growth of your child’s eye which helps in dramatically reducing the chance of myopia.

Australian researchers studied children in several different countries trying to figure out why kids in Australia had such a low percentage of myopia while other countries had percentages as high as ninety percent.  Researchers ruled out many things such as watching television, reading, and video games but learned that Australian children spent as much as four times longer outdoors per day than some of the other countries they had studied.  Researchers believe that the sunlight increases the dopamine in the eyes which may help restrict distorted shaping of the eyes.

Your vision is an incredibly important factor in your day to day life, and you should be doing everything to make sure your eyes are as healthy as possible.  Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more about yearly eye exams and how they can help keep your eyes healthy and help keep you alert of medical situations.