preventing my children's myopia

[Abigail1986]

I'm 22 and have -15 glasses (still getting worse every 9 months ore so).  My husband is 25 and has -12.  Both of us come from notoriously nearsighted families.  We have a 1-year-old boy and I have recently gotten pregnant again.  What can be done to prevent our kids from inheriting our eyes?  I;'d hate to watch their glasses get thicker every year while they are growing up.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[kg17]

As I looked at the differing myopia rates (including degrees of myopia), what became quickly apparent was that cultures that revolve around a more agricultural lifestyle had markedly less myopia than cultures that emphasized early education and more sedentary, indoor lifestyles.  

I am convinced that there is a connection.  Just precisely what remains to be fully explicated.  

Just interesting to note anecdotally.  I have four siblings.  Our five refractions range from
-3 to -17 diopters.  There is a perfect correlation between the degree of refraction with the amount of reading each of us did during childhood and adolescence.

Some argue that myopics are drawn to near-work because they don't see distance well and that explains the association between near-work and degree of myopia.  I don't agree.  I saw perfectly well enough to do sports and outdoor activities (as long as I had my contacts in).  I was just a voracious reader because I loved it.

[walkietalkie]

There’s an asian studies that suggested that kids should not be cooped up in the house. They should spend as much time outdoors as possible to let their growing eyes see faraway objects and to get the natural vitamin D? from the sun. I think its worth a try. They would probably ended up myopic, but their progression could be minimised.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[dukey]

...and just for the record, it's not just about glasses getting thicker. That is the least of the problems. Myopia is a serious threat to vision later in life, especially when it gets beyond -8. You need to be aware of that, both for you and your young family.  

[dukey]

Please do a search for myopia or pathological myopia. This is becoming somewhat of a myopia forum so there is lots of information on here. There are things that can be done for the young myope and with your family history, you will need to be aggressive!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

THere are several discussion underway about stopping the progression of myopia. Use the search feature and archives to access them. See a pediatric ophthalmologist and have the 1 year old checked.

JCH MD