Spending time outdoors could reduce risk of nearsightedness in kids

Washington: Two new studies add to the growing evidence that nearsightedness in children could be prevented or minimized by spending time outdoors.

A study conducted in Taiwan, which is the first to use an educational policy as a public vision health intervention, finds that when children are required to spend recess time outdoors, their risk of nearsightedness is reduced.

A separate study in Danish children is the first to show a direct correlation between seasonal fluctuations in daylight, eye growth and the rate of nearsightedness progression.

Nearsightedness in childhood is correctable, but is also linked to development of severe forms of this eye disorder in adulthood, which increases risks for potentially blinding diseases such as glaucoma and retinal detachment.

Research on nearsightedness, also called myopia, is intensifying as the condition nears epidemic status in Asia and other regions, primarily in developed countries.

The research is published in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

ANI

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