Myopia Control for Children
Myopia Control for Children
Myopia (shortsight) Control is the term used to describe treatments available to slow the progression of shortsightedness in children.
Myopia typically starts during childhood or adolescent years and increases as the eyes continue to grow. With increased levels of myopia, the risks of conditions like retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, cataract and Glaucoma increase.
Where one or both parents are myopic, there is an increased risk of children being myopic. It is believed that by 2050, 1 in every 2 people in the world will be short-sighted.
Can myopia progression be stopped?
While myopia is likely to increase during these growth years, there is now clear evidence to show that the rate of progression can be slowed for many children, significantly reducing the lifelong risks to eye health.
- Increasing the number of hours spent outside in early childhood (ideally before myopic onset) has been shown to reduce the risk of onset of myopia. This is thought to be due to the cumulative effect of daylight on the eye, helping to strengthen the eyeball, along with the requirement of the eyes to look at a greater distance when outdoors.
- Reduce the numbers of hours spent on digital devices to a minimum. There is no current minimum safe length of time children can use digital devices…LESS IS MORE!
- There is a minimum recommendation of 15 hrs of outside, daylight time for children per week.
A useful rule of thumb is 30:30:out – spend NO MORE than 30 minutes of screen time, with the screen at a distance of NO LESS than 30 cm distance from the eyes, then go OUTSIDE.
Treatments available to slow down myopia progression
There are 4 treatments aimed at slowing down myopia progression
- Atropine Drops
- Orthokeratology contact lenses
- Misight soft multifocal contact lenses
- Peripheral Defocus Spectacle Lenses ( Miyosmart lens from Hoya)
Book an appointment
At Cooke Opticians, we are happy to discuss the options of Myopia Control contact lenses and Myopia Control spectacle lenses. These options work on the basis of “peripheral defocus”, where the stimulus for the eye to lengthen is reduced. Myopia control contact lenses and spectacle lenses have been proven to slow the progression of short—sightedness in children by an average of 50-60%.
Get in touch today and Book an Appointment to discuss the options of Myopia Control for your child.
