Babies born in the summer may be more prone to myopia, researchers have found.
The finding comes from the Twins Early Development Study, which looked at nearly 2,000 twins whose average age was 17, Australia’s News.com.au reports.
Of the participants, about 26 percent had myopia. Being born in the summer put children at a 93 percent increased risk of developing the condition, according to the study.
The researchers looked at a wide variety of factors to see which ones might be related to development of myopia. Time spent playing computer games was found to be a factor, increasing the likelihood of myopia by 3 percent, News.com.au reports.
The authors wrote: “A greater understanding of contemporaneous, early life factors associated with myopia risk is urgently required, particularly in younger onset myopia as this correlates with higher severity and increased complications in adult life.”
Why the potential association?
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The authors explained: “In the UK, children start school in the September of the academic year in which they turn 5 years. Therefore, those born in the summer could be almost a whole calendar year younger than those born in autumn.” As a result, “the association may be attributable to early exposure to the educational system.”
The research was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Read more at News.com.au
