Question
A five-year-old girl recently experienced a decline in her vision, diagnosed by a doctor as being nearsighted. The parents want to know, what are the causes of nearsightedness in children?
Answer
The causes of nearsightedness are mainly categorized into several types. Firstly, children may have refractive errors, which include myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism. When these conditions exceed the normal range, that is, when they exceed the normal prescription, they may lead to nearsightedness. For example, hyperopia over 200 degrees or astigmatism over 100 degrees may trigger nearsightedness. Secondly, strabismus is also a cause of nearsightedness, especially esotropia which may lead to severe nearsightedness. In addition, certain congenital eye diseases such as cataracts, maldevelopment of the retina, or nystagmus may also cause nearsightedness to occur.