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NEI Research News

Thanks to the work of NEI scientists and grantees, we’re constantly learning new information about the causes and treatment of vision disorders. Get the latest updates about their work — along with other news about NEI.

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59 items
Eye chart with "myopia" in focus

Myopia: A close look at efforts to turn back a growing problem

Several studies indicate that the prevalence of myopia is increasing in the U.S. and worldwide, and researchers project that the trend will continue in the coming decades.
Grantee News

Handheld Device Takes High-Resolution Images of Children's Retinas

Engineers and physicians at Duke University have developed a handheld device capable of capturing images of a retina with cellular resolution.
Moderate hyperopia, if not treated, may affect reading ability and grade school readiness among preschoolers. Credit: Joe Balintfy, NEI.

Uncorrected Farsightedness Linked to Literacy Deficits in Preschoolers

A study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has shown that uncorrected farsightedness (hyperopia) in preschool children is associated with significantly worse performance on a test of early literacy.
NICU care providers take photos of a premature baby's retinas in the NEI-funded e-ROP study of telemedicine for retinopathy of prematurity. Photo credit: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Telemedicine catches blinding disease in premature babies

Telemedicine is an effective strategy to screen for the potentially blinding disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI).
An experimental contact lens design releases a glaucoma medicine at a steady rate for up to a month. Credit: Peter Mallen, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Laboratory/Kohane Laboratory, Boston Children's Hospital.

Contacts better than permanent lenses for babies after cataract surgery

For adults and children who undergo cataract surgery, implantation of an artificial lens is the standard of care.
Grantee News

Light Exposure During Pregnancy Key to Normal Eye Development

Blood vessels that normally regress in mice before the eyelids open 10 days after birth persist if the mouse fetus receives insufficient light in the womb — showing that the eye needs light to develop during pregnancy.
little boy with eye patch simultaneously writing.

Extended daily eye patching effective at treating stubborn amblyopia in children

The standard treatment for amblyopia, a condition of poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye, is patching: covering a child’s better-seeing eye with a patch for two hours a day to improve vision in the weaker eye.
brain circuit systematic

Researchers find essential brain circuit in visual development

A study in mice reveals an elegant circuit within the developing visual system that helps dictate how the eyes connect to the brain.
National Eye Institute logo.

National Institutes of Health releases data from largest pediatric eye study

Study estimates prevalence of vision disorders among preschool children in three ethnic groups, identifies risk factors
National Eye Institute logo.

Strategy Confirmed to Help Doctors Determine When to Treat Retinopathy of Prematurity

Scientists have shown that through an eye exam, doctors can identify infants who are most likely to benefit from early treatment for a potentially blinding eye condition called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), resulting in better vision for many children