The U-Team health expert, Dr. Harlan Gibbs , stopped by Thursday to discuss a possible danger concerning nightlights. Many kids are afraid of the dark. In response, parents are often tempted to leave on a nightlight. But you may want to think twice before doing this, especially if you have toddlers.
Scientists say children who sleep with a light on are more likely to grow up myopic or near-sighted.
This extremely common eye problem is caused by excessive growth of the eyeball. Scientists believe that light may stimulate the eyeball to grow and we already know that the eyeball grows very quickly before an infant reaches age two. So, if you want to avoid nearsightedness for your child, you may not want to leave that nightlight on in your child's room. In a study, researchers surveyed nearly 500 families and found that only 10 percent of the children who slept in the dark were near-sighted. Of those who slept with a nightlight, the number of near-sighted children was 34 percent.