We are now two years and four visits into the Dynamics of Childhood Eye Growth (DoCEG) study at Hatch Ride School. Every six months, we learn a little more about eye growth, and we now have enough data to start seeing patterns. What have we found so far? The measurement we care about most is axial length, which is how long the eyeball is from front to back. Axial length is one of the best signs of whether a child is likely to become short-sighted (myopic), and how quickly that might progress....

Did you know... The retina has a dual blood supply system: The choroid supplies the inner retinal layers, including the photoreceptors. It lies behind the retina, and is made up of tiny blood vessels. Anand-Apte, B., & Hollyfield, J.G. (2010). Developmental Anatomy of the Retinal and Choroidal Vasculature. The central retinal artery supplies blood to the outer retinal layers, which include the cells that the photoreceptors send signals to. The artery enters the eye through a single place,...

♫ It’s the most wonderful time of the year ♫ ... when we revisit the fantastic students at Hatch Ride School to gather data on the Dynamics of Childhood Eye Growth ( DoCEG )! We were delighted to see some familiar faces and to meet our new cohort from Reception. We have now completed three study visits and measure the eyes of more than 180 children! During these visits, we’ve: measured height and weight measured the cornea, lens, and overall eye length taken detailed pictures of the retina...