Mother's milk helps prevent myopia - study

"Mother's milk helps prevent myopia - study", Reuters UK, June 28,
2005,
Link:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news...-MYOPIA-DC.XML

Children who are breastfed are about fifty percent less likely to be
short sighted, Singapore researchers said on Tuesday.

Docosahexaenoi acid or DHA, a substance found in breast milk, could be
the main element which improves early visual development in babies,
resulting in more ordered eyeball growth which then reduces the
development or severity of myopia.

"We can recommend infant breastfeeding as a protective behavior that
may be adopted by mothers to lower the probability of the development
of myopia," said Dr Saw Seang Mei of the National University of
Singapore, who headed the research.

Myopia is the most common eye problem. It affects as much as 40 percent
of the population in the United States and Europe but between 70 and 90
percent of some Asian populations such as Singapore, Japan and Hong
Kong, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Saw said the DHA is also important for the development of photoreceptor
cells in the retina, which play a major role in whether children become
short-sighted.

Researchers studied 797 children aged between 10 to 12 years in
Singapore as part of the survey. They were given medical tests and also
had to answer a series of questions including the number of books they
read per week.

The study, led by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, found that the
risk of myopia in a child that was breastfed is 0.6 times that of child
that was not, even after taking into account of other factors.

While genetic variation was seen to be the culprit of myopia among
children, soaring rates of the condition have led more researchers to
believe it is the rising watching of television, playing computers
games and reading that is to blame.

William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Actually could also be explained on the basis of near focusing
>activities while feeding. A breast fed kid is going to be looking at
>his mom's face, maybe 10 or 12 inches away, while a bottle fed kid will
>be trying to read the label on his bottle, a couple of inches away...
>
>I still think another culprit is the night light that allows an infant
>to focus way too close (e.g. on his fingers) all night long, while the
>infant in total darkness has no such visual activity available...
>
>w.stacy, o.d.

Dr. Christine Wildsoet, of Berkeley, would agree with you on the
nightlight issue. Interesting paper by her and her fellows, titled
"What do Animals tells us about Refractive Development in Humans?
OR What do we understand about human myopia?"

http://optometry.berkeley.edu/class/...4_Wildsoet.pdf

Neil
High hyperope. Sigh....

William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Actually could also be explained on the basis of near
> focusing activities while feeding. A breast fed kid is going
> to be looking at his mom's face, maybe 10 or 12 inches away,

I haven't breast fed, but I doubt suckling infants look
at their nurses faces. Wrong angles.

> while a bottle fed kid will be trying to read the label on
> his bottle, a couple of inches away...

I _have_ bottle fed my children, and can tell you there's
no labels on any bottles outside of hospitals. Hardly any
markings either from all the washing. I don't recall any
eyes crossing, either.

I don't rule out some environmental focussing difference.
ISTR bottle fed babies suckle eyes closed.

> I still think another culprit is the night light that allows
> an infant to focus way too close (e.g. on his fingers)
> all night long, while the infant in total darkness has no
> such visual activity available...

Quite possibly. What is infant night vision like? Many
bedrooms often have sufficient external light so see somewhat.
Car headlights playing on ceilings may also drive focus.

-- Robert

"Neil Brooks" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Actually could also be explained on the basis of near focusing
>>activities while feeding. A breast fed kid is going to be looking at
>>his mom's face, maybe 10 or 12 inches away, while a bottle fed kid will
>>be trying to read the label on his bottle, a couple of inches away...
>>
>>I still think another culprit is the night light that allows an infant
>>to focus way too close (e.g. on his fingers) all night long, while the
>>infant in total darkness has no such visual activity available...
>>
>>w.stacy, o.d.
>
> Dr. Christine Wildsoet, of Berkeley, would agree with you on the
> nightlight issue. Interesting paper by her and her fellows, titled
> "What do Animals tells us about Refractive Development in Humans?
> OR What do we understand about human myopia?"
>
> http://optometry.berkeley.edu/class/...4_Wildsoet.pdf


I believe that her opinion has since changed, due to further studies which
showed no difference between myopia in night light and no night light using
human children after parental myopia was controlled for. The speculation
was that myopic parents, getting up in the night without glasses, are more
likely to use night lights than non myopic parents. So the genetic risk
showed up as a correlation between night light use and myopia

Arch Ophthalmol. 2002 May;120(5):620-7.
Near-work activity, night-lights, and myopia in the Singapore-China study.

Saw SM, Zhang MZ, Hong RZ, Fu ZF, Pang MH, Tan DT.

Department of Community, Occupational, and Family Medicine, National
University of Singapore, 16 Medical Dr, Singapore 117597, Republic of
Singapore. (E-Mail Removed)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among near-work activity,
night-lights, and myopia in schoolchildren in Singapore and Xiamen, China.
METHOD: The refractive error and ocular dimensions of 957 Chinese
schoolchildren aged 7 to 9 years in Singapore and Xiamen, China, were
determined using cycloplegic autorefraction and A-scan ultrasound biometry.
Information on near-work activity (number of books read per week, reading in
hours per day) and night-light use before age 2 years was obtained.

snip

CONCLUSIONS: Reading (number of books per week) may be associated with
higher myopia in Chinese schoolchildren. However, night-light use does not
seem to be related to higher myopia.


Br J Ophthalmol. 2001 May;85(5):527-8.
Myopia and night lighting in children in Singapore.

Saw SM, Wu HM, Hong CY, Chua WH, Chia KS, Tan D.

Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National
University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore. (E-Mail Removed)

AIM: To examine the role of night time lighting and myopia in children in
Singapore METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted on 1001 children in
two Singapore schools. Cycloplegic refraction and A-scan biometry
measurements were made in both eyes. A detailed questionnaire was completed
by the parents to obtain information on night time lighting, near work
activity, educational and demographic factors. RESULTS: There was no
difference in myopia prevalence rates in children exposed to night time
light (33.1%) compared with children who slept in the dark (31.4%) before
age 2. In addition, vitreous chamber depth was not related to night light (p
= 0.58) before age 2. These results remained even after controlling for near
work. CONCLUSION: Myopia is not associated with night light in Asian
populations.


>
> Neil
> High hyperope. Sigh....

Dr Judy wrote:
>
> I believe that her opinion has since changed, due to further studies which
> showed no difference between myopia in night light and no night light using
> human children after parental myopia was controlled for. The speculation
> was that myopic parents, getting up in the night without glasses, are more
> likely to use night lights than non myopic parents. So the genetic risk
> showed up as a correlation between night light use and myopia

*Sigh*, 2 more near activity myopia causes, shot down mercilessly by
science... Why won't those scientists leave us alone???

w.stacy, o.d.

p.s. on the breast feeding, I had it backwards. The mom looks at the
child's face, not the other way 'round. The child is (quite naturally)
looking at the breast, which is *way* up close...

In article <kLewe.1421$(E-Mail Removed)>, Robert
Redelmeier <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > Actually could also be explained on the basis of near
> > focusing activities while feeding. A breast fed kid is going
> > to be looking at his mom's face, maybe 10 or 12 inches away,
>
> I haven't breast fed, but I doubt suckling infants look
> at their nurses faces. Wrong angles.


They look at a number of things. It depends some on age. I distinctly
remember sitting next to my wife on the couch while she was nursing one of
our kids. I must have been talking too much with my hands, because I
caught the kids attention. He let loose of the nipple and turned to look
at me. Once you start sucking, the milk comes out under pressure, and
keeps coming. I got sprayed but good.

ObGlasses: Yup, on the glasses and the beard. It doesn't just wipe off
the glasses, because you get a big smear. If you don't get it off the
beard, pretty soon all you can smell is sour milk.


> > while a bottle fed kid will be trying to read the label on
> > his bottle, a couple of inches away...
>
> I _have_ bottle fed my children, and can tell you there's
> no labels on any bottles outside of hospitals. Hardly any
> markings either from all the washing.

It's been a long time, but I remember lines and numbers on both glass and
plastic bottles, to help in getting the right proportions for the formula.



> ISTR bottle fed babies suckle eyes closed.


I remember mostly open, but some closed also.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS
(E-Mail Removed)

William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:F5cwe.654$(E-Mail Removed). ..

> Actually could also be explained on the basis of near focusing activities
> while feeding.

Nope.

> A breast fed kid is going to be looking at his mom's face, maybe 10 or 12
> inches away, while a bottle fed kid will be trying to read the label on his
> bottle, a couple of inches away...

The brats I've seen doing either dont focus on the source of the milk at all.

> I still think another culprit is the night light that allows an infant to
> focus way too close (e.g. on his fingers) all night long,

Pity about when its asleep...

> while the infant in total darkness

Thats pretty rare.

> has no such visual activity available...

> w.stacy, o.d.


> Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
>> "Mother's milk helps prevent myopia - study", Reuters UK, June 28,
>> 2005,
>> Link:
>> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news...-MYOPIA-DC.XML
>>
>> Children who are breastfed are about fifty percent less likely to be
>> short sighted, Singapore researchers said on Tuesday.
>>
>> Docosahexaenoi acid or DHA, a substance found in breast milk, could be
>> the main element which improves early visual development in babies,
>> resulting in more ordered eyeball growth which then reduces the
>> development or severity of myopia.
>>
>> "We can recommend infant breastfeeding as a protective behavior that
>> may be adopted by mothers to lower the probability of the development
>> of myopia," said Dr Saw Seang Mei of the National University of
>> Singapore, who headed the research.
>>
>> Myopia is the most common eye problem. It affects as much as 40 percent
>> of the population in the United States and Europe but between 70 and 90
>> percent of some Asian populations such as Singapore, Japan and Hong
>> Kong, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
>>
>> Saw said the DHA is also important for the development of photoreceptor
>> cells in the retina, which play a major role in whether children become
>> short-sighted.
>>
>> Researchers studied 797 children aged between 10 to 12 years in
>> Singapore as part of the survey. They were given medical tests and also
>> had to answer a series of questions including the number of books they
>> read per week.
>>
>> The study, led by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, found that the
>> risk of myopia in a child that was breastfed is 0.6 times that of child
>> that was not, even after taking into account of other factors.
>>
>> While genetic variation was seen to be the culprit of myopia among
>> children, soaring rates of the condition have led more researchers to
>> believe it is the rising watching of television, playing computers
>> games and reading that is to blame.
>>

Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
> "Mother's milk helps prevent myopia - study", Reuters UK, June 28,
> 2005,
> Link:
> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news...-MYOPIA-DC.XML
>
> Children who are breastfed are about fifty percent less likely to be
> short sighted, Singapore researchers said on Tuesday.
>
> Docosahexaenoi acid or DHA, a substance found in breast milk, could be
> the main element which improves early visual development in babies,
> resulting in more ordered eyeball growth which then reduces the
> development or severity of myopia.
>
> "We can recommend infant breastfeeding as a protective behavior that
> may be adopted by mothers to lower the probability of the development
> of myopia," said Dr Saw Seang Mei of the National University of
> Singapore, who headed the research.
>
> Myopia is the most common eye problem. It affects as much as 40 percent
> of the population in the United States and Europe but between 70 and 90
> percent of some Asian populations such as Singapore, Japan and Hong
> Kong, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
>
> Saw said the DHA is also important for the development of photoreceptor
> cells in the retina, which play a major role in whether children become
> short-sighted.
>
> Researchers studied 797 children aged between 10 to 12 years in
> Singapore as part of the survey. They were given medical tests and also
> had to answer a series of questions including the number of books they
> read per week.
>
> The study, led by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, found that the
> risk of myopia in a child that was breastfed is 0.6 times that of child
> that was not, even after taking into account of other factors.
>
> While genetic variation was seen to be the culprit of myopia among
> children, soaring rates of the condition have led more researchers to
> believe it is the rising watching of television, playing computers
> games and reading that is to blame.

I just heard this on KGO

Roman Bystrianyk wrote:
> "Mother's milk helps prevent myopia - study", Reuters UK, June 28,
> 2005,
> Link:
> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/news...-MYOPIA-DC.XML
>
> Children who are breastfed are about fifty percent less likely to be
> short sighted, Singapore researchers said on Tuesday.
>
> Docosahexaenoi acid or DHA, a substance found in breast milk, could be
> the main element which improves early visual development in babies,
> resulting in more ordered eyeball growth which then reduces the
> development or severity of myopia.
>
> "We can recommend infant breastfeeding as a protective behavior that
> may be adopted by mothers to lower the probability of the development
> of myopia," said Dr Saw Seang Mei of the National University of
> Singapore, who headed the research.
>
> Myopia is the most common eye problem. It affects as much as 40 percent
> of the population in the United States and Europe but between 70 and 90
> percent of some Asian populations such as Singapore, Japan and Hong
> Kong, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
>
> Saw said the DHA is also important for the development of photoreceptor
> cells in the retina, which play a major role in whether children become
> short-sighted.
>
> Researchers studied 797 children aged between 10 to 12 years in
> Singapore as part of the survey. They were given medical tests and also
> had to answer a series of questions including the number of books they
> read per week.
>
> The study, led by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, found that the
> risk of myopia in a child that was breastfed is 0.6 times that of child
> that was not, even after taking into account of other factors.
>
> While genetic variation was seen to be the culprit of myopia among
> children, soaring rates of the condition have led more researchers to
> believe it is the rising watching of television, playing computers
> games and reading that is to blame.

I just heard this on KGO 810 at about 1:30 PM in San Francisco on June
30, 2005.

William Stacy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gsgwe.34733$(E-Mail Removed) om...

> on the breast feeding, I had it backwards.

Mangled it completely, actually.

> The mom looks at the child's face,

Sometimes they do, much more often they dont.

> not the other way 'round.

> The child is (quite naturally) looking at the breast,

Mostly they dont.

> which is *way* up close...

You did manage to get that bit right.