Outdoor light may reduce myopia in kids

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: As per a new study, exposure to outdoor light can lower short-sightedness or myopia in kids.

This study has revealed that the major cause of myopia is lack of adequate outdoor light and not remaining glued to computer screen or television.

"Children exposed to the least outdoor light had faster eye growth and hence faster myopia progression," said lead researcher Scott Read, optometrist and associate professor at Queensland University Of Technology in Australia.

Also, for those who already have myopia, increasing time outside is likely to reduce the progression of the vision problem.

Children should spend more than an hour and preferably at least two hours a day in the outdoor light to help prevent myopia from developing and progressing.

"Optometrists need to make their patients aware that less than 60 minutes' exposure to light outdoors per day is a risk factor for myopia," Read suggested.

"This new finding is of significant importance in our endeavour to mitigate the growing rate of myopia in children," said Kate Gifford, president of Optometry Australia. 

(With IANS inputs)