BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Parents have long used night lights in babies' bedrooms, believing it a safety feature, at least reassurance for the child. Then researchers found the possible connection between the use of night lights and near-sightedness in children. CNN's Pat Etheridge now with an update on a new study.</s>DR. GRAHAM QUINN, PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGIST: Have you tried these on before?</s>PAT ETHERIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One group of doctors takes a dim view of night lights in the rooms of children.</s>QUINN: When you leave the room and the child has settled back down, turn the light off. The eye needs a period of rest, just like the rest of the body needs some period of rest.</s>ETHERIDGE: Now, another group of researchers sees them in a more positive light.</s>DR. KARLA ZADNICK, OPTOMETRIST: The best I can say is: If I were to have a newborn tomorrow that I had to decide whether to use a night light or not, I would use one.</s>ETHERIDGE: The debate comes in the wake of a highly-publicized study last year that sent parents of infants and toddlers this warning:</s>QUINN: There was a strong association of being near-sighted and increased night-time light exposure.</s>ETHERIDGE: But in this issue of "Nature," follow-up studies present entirely different findings.</s>ZADNICK: After that result came out last summer, we surveyed parents of the children in our study, using the exact same questions as the previous study had used. And what we found was that there was no risk for near-sightedness in children.</s>QUINN: Perfect.</s>ETHERIDGE: The authors of the original survey stand by their findings, saying more research will make it clear that developing eyes need a period of darkness. As doctors explore further, children need to get regular vision exams...</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Night, night, peanut.</s>ETHERIDGE: ... and all the night-time comfort a parent can provide. Pat Etheridge, CNN, Atlanta.
New Study Adds Perspective to Night-Light Debate