In an interesting twist in the field of ophthalmology, scientists are beginning to examine the idea that early childhood exposure to natural light may play a role in the development of myopia. Though experts believe that heredity is the most significant factor in determining nearsightedness, several studies have suggested that the type of light newborns are exposed to before and just after birth might in fact influence how the eyes properly focus and refract light.

The data supports a link between maternal exposure to light preceding birth, whereby the visual development of the unborn child might be influenced by biological signals between mother and baby. This process might be further affected by the newborn’s first exposure to light after birth.

In the study in question, researchers examined a large population sample to arrive at their findings. A large sample was required because any influence that light might have had would be subtle, at best. Over 275,000 subjects were evaluated over the course of four years (2000-2004). All the participants were born in the same country (Israel), ensuring a uniform exposure to seasonal light variations. Following eye examinations, subjects were assigned to one of three different categories of nearsightedness, or myopia: mild (18.8%), moderate (8.7%), and severe (2.4%).

According to the findings, which were published in the journal, Ophthalmology, seasonal levels of light seemed to play a role in the incidence of moderate to severe myopia, with the highest risk seen for babies born in June/July and the lowest in the months of December and January. The relationship was determined to be statistically significant, even after the data was adjusted for gender, education, and parental country of origin. Interestingly, no correlations were seen with mild myopia.

The authors of the study indicated that more work needs to be done in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanism by which light exposure may influence visual development. This will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the progression of myopia and by extension, more effective ways to prevent and treat it.

Myopia is a condition whereby changes in the shape of the eyeball or cornea result in objects viewed from a distance to be blurry while ones that are nearby appear more clearly. The exact cause is still largely unknown, though there is a strong link to heredity. Certain schools of thought also believe that how the eyes are used early in life might be a factor, whereby activities such as watching TV, reading, or using the computer might play a significant role. Treatment of myopia in the United States is a billion dollar industry.