Eye growth charts may help detect myopia risk in children early, study finds

ANBAR, Iraq — Researchers led by Australia’s Western University have developed eye growth charts designed to track eye development in children and flag the risk of myopia before it develops. The charts monitor eye length by age, sex and geographic region, working in a similar way to pediatric height and weight charts. Myopia occurs when the eyeball grows slightly longer than normal, taking on a more elongated shape. Dr. Gareth Lingham said increased eye length raises the risk of conditions associated with myopia. The study analyzed roughly 560,000 eye measurements from over 147,000 children and young people across Australia, Europe and East Asia. Professor David Mackey said the charts do not diagnose myopia directly but help identify whether a child’s eyes are growing faster than those of peers. The researchers recommended that families encourage children to spend two hours a day outdoors, preferably during periods of low UV exposure such as winter mornings.