A new study presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Hawai’i, indicates that commercially-available light bulbs may contribute to myopia, while a new source of light created by the researchers may protect against the development of nearsightedness.

Researchers recreated the lighting produced by two commercially-available LED products and examined their effect on chicks over three days. Both products appeared to encourage eye growth, a factor involved in the development of myopia. The researcher-designed light source appeared to reduce eye growth and cause less myopia than the other two products.

“These findings have significant clinical implications, as the lighting we created could potentially be used in indoor environments, like school classrooms, for the prevention of myopia,” said first author Hannah Yoon, New England College of Optometry.