Title: Swing sets can fight children's myopia

Author: Evie Kellerman

Article:

Some time ago a colleague asked me a question: Why should I buy a swing set for my children?

If you need a motivation more to buy a swing set for your kids, here it is:

The children who developed myopia -- also known as nearsightedness -- spent less time in outdoor activities, an average of 8.3 hours a week compared to 12.6 hours among the other children.

Kids who spend more time outside -- and away from the television set -- are less likely to develop myopia, the inability to see things clearly at a distance.

The new report, from researchers in Boston, doesn't determine whether too much indoor activity actually causes poor eyesight. And even if it does, researchers haven't pinpointed what the exact mechanism might be.

Still, "it would seem prudent to encourage outdoor activities -- not necessarily sports -- for all growing children and young adults in order to reduce the progression of myopia," said Howard C. Howland, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University.

The findings were published in the January issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

You will never regret a swing set investment. The health of your children is more protected.

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