Today I am going to talk about the benefits of children playing outside. New research shows us that myopia is not purely genetic. There is an environmental factor. That is to say, the more time children spend outdoors, the less likely they will need glasses to see far away. This is important from an early age, before the child has already developed nearsightedness.

The study demonstrates that an increase in around 76 minutes per day is needed to obtain a 50% reduction in myopia in children. This research is exciting for me. I can educate my patients on how to reduce children’s dependence on glasses in the future. For example, I recommend to take a walk after dinner, or take the kids out to play when walking the dog.