Child's Eyesight Linked With Outdoor Play, Study Finds

If you're worried about your child's vision, forget the carrots. Instead, a new study suggests you should shut off the television and head to the park.

Recent findings out of the University of Cambridge reveal a child's exposure to sunlight could improve his or her nearsighted vision, also known as myopia, reports the Telegraph.

After examining eight studies with a total of 10,400 participants on outdoor time and myopia in children and adolescents, Dr. Scherwin and his team found that the chance of myopia dropped by 2 percent for each additional hour spent outdoors per week, notes the Cambridge News.

Based on the analysis, the researchers argue that the increased exposure to ultraviolet light could be the key to improved vision.

However, the researchers found no correlation between more time spent outdoors and less time performing near work, like watching TV, reading or playing video or computer games, reports the National Journal.

"Increasing children's outdoor time could be a simple and cost-effective measure with important benefits for their vision and general health" said Dr. Khawaja in a press statement. "If we want to make clear recommendations, however, we'll need more precise data. Future, prospective studies will help us understand which factors, such as increased use of distance vision, reduced use of near vision, natural ultra violet light exposure or physical activity, are most important."

The researchers presented their findings at the annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology on Monday.

Myopia is one of the most common eyesight problems worldwide, says WebMD. The National Eye Institute reports that about 41 percent of Americans have myopia.

Although nearsightedness is easily treated, the U.S. spends a total of $2 billion to $3 billion each year on it, reports ABC News.

Comments

[siyathomas88]

10:54 PM on 11/09/2011

That's true..Outdoor play are actually needed, as in today's scenario many kids spend their lot of time in front of TV which is not good for their health and of course eyesight, they need outside activities, sunshine and fresh air.
http://www.greenproindia.com/greenfit.html

[Margaret Finch]

02:08 PM on 10/26/2011

My son has coke-bottle glasses, just like me and my sister and my brothers and my mother. My dear daughter has perfect vision. But go ahead. Let's just say I let my daughter out to play and my son I kept locked in a box two inches in front of the tv. I didn't, but let's just pretend that genetics plays no part in this issue.

[getsit]

06:58 PM on 10/25/2011

My eye doctor told me that my nearsightedness didn't worsen over time because I didn't use nearsighted glasses to read with. I had read something on the same thing-that children shouldn't use their nearsighted glasses for near vision because that might worsen their nearsightedness over time. I didn't wear glasses when I was a child or in my teenage years even though I was nearsighted and only wear them now when I'm driving or watching movies.

I think that the more distance seeing you do the more you force your eyes to adjust to the circumstances. We do way too much computer work and watch TV. Even when we're out we're glued to our phones and playing with our gadgets which is near vision.

Children are constantly moving their eyes seeing and learning the world around them. This makes nerve connections in their brains. When we get older we don't move our eyes as much. I find myself looking at the sidewalk when I walk instead of the scenery, trying to spot creatures, looking at flora, that kind of thing.

[Swedenworks]

08:33 PM on 10/25/2011

Yes it's true. I had my daughter go to vision therapy after being diagnosed with nearsightedness. I refused to put minus lenses (as they are called) on her and she now has 20-20 vision. I was overprescribed as a child and I'm sooo nearsighted. I did alot of research and realized that putting minus lenses on a young child pretty much damns them to a life of myopia. Her dr gave her plus lenses instead, did exercises and I took her outside to play everychance I had. It worked.

[PatBitton]

03:12 PM on 10/25/2011

Not exactly rocket science. Our family acquired its first television when I was five and, by the time I was seven, I was wearing glasses all day every day.

[Laura Weldon]

02:34 PM on 10/25/2011

Here's info about earlier studies linking myopia to less time spent outdoors:

http://lauragraceweldon.com/2010/08/10/epidemic-of-nearsightedness-has-startling-cause/

[db025]

12:25 PM on 10/25/2011

DUH!

Out door exercise, playing, or sitting makes the eyes work to focus on near, middle, and long distance objects.

Sitting in front of the idiot box all day sets the eyes at the distance from the kid to the TV. The eyes don't have to adjust to any other distance, the muscles get lethargic and shrink, the eyeball it's self gets stiffer from lack of movement, and the kid ends up wearing glasses.

[meat-a-saur-us]

04:26 AM on 10/25/2011

If this were true, then no children before the advent of the TV and video games, etc.... would ever need glasses.

Myself and my siblings, did not have the luxury of TV every day, nor were computers or video games invented. We played outside every day after school, often until dinner or it started to get dark. On Fridays or Saturdays, we were allowed to watch a movie at night, but that was it. There was no cable or satellite TV. We had bunny ears. In the summer, we were outside all day, and often would miss lunch from playing. Myself and all of my 4 siblings wear glasses. So do my parents.

And on the opposite spectrum, my Son, who is 22, grew up with video games, computers and the advent of easy TV (cable, PPV, Satellite, etc), does NOT wear glasses. He was not an outdoors kid, as much as I tried to force him. He would rather read, and play inside, with legos or other hands on building games, and eventually video games and computers. He is now a computer engineer. Still no glasses. Perfect eyesight.

So, to me this "study," is moot and a stab in the dark.......to one mysterious medical question.

[getsit]

06:55 PM on 10/25/2011

He started out with perfect eyesight. Those of us who didn't don't learn to compensate for our deficient vision (especially nearsightedness) by forcing our eyes to try and focus on distances when were mostly using near vision. It doesn't mean he won't be farsighted when he grows older.