For children who are nearsighted, the best way to read a book may be while lying on their backs, suggests a small study published online in Acta Ophthalmologica.

Adopting that reading position, which could mean staring up at a book held above the face, appears to slow the progression of the eye condition, also known as myopia. Children with myopia who preferred back reading had less advanced nearsightedness as adults than those who lay on their stomach, sat upright or varied their position. Myopic progression was highest...