Nearsighted Risk in Connecticut Children

Norwalk, Connecticut Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. shared information about the risk of nearsightedness or myopia in children and how to possibly decrease the risk. “In our practice we see many families where the parents suffer from varying degrees of nearsightedness. Pretty often they ask about or express concern about the potential for their children to also become nearsighted,” stated Dr. Leslie Doctor. She further explained, “According to researchers who reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology last year the risk of nearsightedness or myopia in children was reduced with increased time spent in natural light and viewing distant objects during childhood activities.”

A review of data of 10,400 participants showed that for each additional hour outdoors per week, the chance of developing myopia dropped by about 2%, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the 2011. It was reported that myopic or nearsighted children included in the study tended to spend about 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than children with normal vision or hyperopia. Furthermore, increasing outdoor time might reduce the chances of myopia worsening, according to the study.

If you or someone you know have questions about children’s eye health and vision, their risk of nearsightedness or myopia or wish to schedule an eye examination for children of any age please feel free to contact Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.