The causes and consequences of childhood myopia
- Publication date
- 6 February 2019
- Publisher
- Myopia is the eye disorder with the most rapid increase in prevalence worldwide. It develops in childhood with a peak incidence between 13-15 years. Especially high myopia, a refractive error of -6 diopters or more, increases the risk of permanent visual impairment during adulthood due to structural abnormalities of the retina and optic nerve. The causes of myopia are complex. Lifestyle factors in childhood, such as time spent outdoors and close work are risk factors. Moreover, genetic studies have revealed more than many factors associated with myopia. Pharmacological and optical interventions to inhibit myopia progression are becoming increasingly common. The ultimate goal of this thesis was to gain insight into the causes and consequences of childhood myopia. For this purpose we investigated the environmental and genetic factors of myopia, eye growth in children and ocular biometry development in subjects of the Generation R and ALSPAC study. We studied the consequences of high myopia on visual impairment in adults and found a strong association between axial length and visual impairment.