There’s a new report out that says pollution could impact the vision of children
A new report shows that pollution could impact the vision of children.
A University of Birmingham study found that while genetics and excessive screen time play a major role in myopia in kids, air pollution also has a negative impact.
The study suggests air purifiers in classrooms and closing streets to cars during school drop-off and pick-up times could improve eye health.
Key Takeaways:
Of nearly 30,000 children studied, those in polluted areas were more likely to develop myopia
Fine particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were most strongly linked to poor eyesight
Primary school kids saw the biggest vision benefits in ‘clean air’ scenarios
Read the full report from our news partners at CBS:
Air pollution is known to raise the risk of heart disease, strokes and breathing problems, but new research suggests it may also harm something else: kids’ vision.
Also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia causes distant objects to appear blurry while close ones appear clear.
“We showed that air pollution contributes to myopia development in children,” study co-author Zongbo Shi, a professor of atmospheric biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., told The Washington Post.
“What this means,” he said, “Is that if their exposure to air pollution is high, the risk to become shortsighted is higher.”
The findings were published Sept. 23 in the journal PNAS Nexus.
The research combined genetic, lifestyle and environmental data using a machine-learning model. While genetics were the strongest factor in whether a child developed vision problems, air quality also played an important role.
Children living in areas with cleaner air tended to have better vision, the study found. In fact, when researchers created “clean air” scenarios, primary schoolers saw almost double the vision improvement compared with older students.
What’s more, lifestyle also mattered: Lack of sleep and long hours of screen time increased the risk of poor eyesight, researchers said.
“There are factors that you cannot change,” Shi explained. “But you can change habits. You can reduce air pollution so that would improve eyesight.”
For example, past research has shown that spending more time outdoors can reduce the risk of myopia. But in this study, outdoor time appeared to be one of the least important factors.
“I worry about this unconventional approach giving us an unconventional answer,” Dr. Donald Mutti, an optometry professor at Ohio State University who was not involved with the study, told The Post.
Still, the results add to a growing body of evidence linking air pollution to vision problems. Other studies have also suggested pollution can worsen eye inflammation and contribute to the progression of myopia in kids.
Researchers say reducing pollution exposure can help protect a child’s eyesight.
“Improving air quality will not only benefit or reduce disease burden, but it can also improve eye health,” Shi said. “Reducing exposure is the key.”
Reporter CBS News Radio
