Myopia risk - one more reason kids need nature

[Carmen Field]

Researchers are studying whether outdoor light somehow changes the way our eyes grow and have found that time spent outdoors in childhood is important to our vision. Read more at the NPR website:

Medical Detectives Focus On Myopia
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122374802
You can listen to this story, too.

[Randy Eady]

This is an important research area.

I train peripheral vision as a part of our natural waking and fall prevention class. More and more good info is coming out and we're using the latest flash sonar technique for the visually impaired to navigate in natural surrounding...like echo-location. We'll be creating vibrational navigation tools for a seeing sound garden project. In addition, this is an nice piece of research: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101013173841.htm

"Humans constantly shift objects between central and peripheral vision and may encounter effects like the curveball's break regularly," the authors wrote. "Peripheral vision's inability to separate different visual signals may have f ar-reaching implications in understanding human visual perception and functional vision in daily life."

[Carmen Field]

This is a very interesting topic to me, having been nearsighted most of my life. And thanks for the links to the '08 Australian study/article, Juliet. And I'll certainly post info as I get it on the other issue - sensory deprivation.

[Suz Lipman]

Hi Carmen. This story just got posted on the C&NN web site. (http://bit.ly/5rSdlx). Thank you for putting it up on the Network. It's so important and I think you're right about its implications for sensory deprivation and other possible health impacts. Great news about getting others involved with this. I trust you'll keep us posted as you learn more.

[Carmen Field]

Another health issue perhaps not on most people's radar is sensory deprivation. In a conversation that arose after Martin LeBlanc's talk to hospital staff here in Homer, AK, an occupational therapist told me she's seeing lots of this in kids not getting outdoors...and many of them have been misdiagnosed as having ADD or ADHD. She and I are going to get together next month, so I can learn more about this health issue and hopefully get her involved in our community coalition to get kids outdoors more.

[Juliet Robertson]

What's interesting about this article is that it doesn't mention a previous study undertaken in 2008 by Rose et al commissioned by the Australian Government. Similar findings were made. So this is not a one-off finding! This is a good news article that explains the findings in lay language!

[Suz Lipman]

This is really important and interesting. I wonder what else is going to turn up as a result of Nature Deficit Disorder. Thank you for posting this, Carmen.