The Long & Short of Myopia Management For Kids

Does your child’s vision keep getting worse each year? Have you ever wondered if there’s anything you can do to help your child from having a very high prescription in the future? At View Optometry, we have started offering myopia management for kids who are at high risk of becoming nearsighted. We will look for different risk factors such as family history or trends in how the child’s vision has been changing over the years. Please read the frequently asked questions below to find out more…

What is myopia?

Myopia or nearsightedness is when, rather than the eye being the perfect length for light to focus on the retina, the eye is too long and light focuses in front of the retina. This causes vision to be blurry in the distance. The longer the eye the higher the prescription.

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How common is myopia?

In short, very common. Approximately 50% of the world’s population (and up to 90% in some Asian countries) are myopic. Studies have shown that the prevalence of myopia has doubled in the last 30 years, and worldwide the incidence of myopia is expected to increase from 2 billion in 2010 to 5 billion in 2050!


Why is myopia control important?

The increase of myopia causes substantial costs to the individual and society. There is an increased risk of pathology as the prescription gets larger; such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic maculopathy) which causes higher health care costs. For the individual the higher the prescription the more expensive glasses will be and the less functional the child will be without corrective lenses on. The ideal goal is to keep the prescription below -3.00 and the length of the eye below 26mm.

What are the treatment options for myopia control?

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  • Behavioral changes

    • More time outdoors daily; studies have show that 14 hours per week of outdoor activity decreases the chance of a child becoming myopic by 30%

    • It is a good idea not to have students spend too much time in a cubical or enclosed room. Even if they are looking at something close to their face it’s good to have their peripheral vision focused far away. This will discourage the eye from adapting to a near space and will be less likely to become more myopic

  • Pharmaceuticals

    • Atropine drops

    • 50% effective

    • However these drops must be compounded at the pharmacy and are used off-label

    • More long-term studies are needed on the affects of atropine in the long term

    • Some research shows that there is a rebound effect when treatment stopped

    • May affect the child’s ability to focus up close, this will depend on the strength of the drops given

    • We are unsure as to how it works

    • Pupils may be slightly dilated which can make the child light sensitive

  • Contact Lenses

    • 33-50% effective

    • Types of contacts:

      • Ortho K: A hard contact lens worn over night

      • Multi-focal: Used off-label but have similar properties to specialty lenses

      • Specialty: Contacts made specifically for myopia control

    • The child will need to learn proper care of contacts and how to take the lenses out themselves

    • May experience ghosting or occasional blurring of vision

    • Study ongoing to answer questions such as how long the child needs to stay in the lenses (likely until late teens)

    • Great for active kids

    • Misight lenses from Cooper Vision are an approved treatment for myopia control

  • Glasses

    • 33% effective

    • Progressive vs. Bifocal vs. Specialty

    • Works best for children with specific traits

If you have any further questions about if your child would benefit from myopia management please feel free to book an appointment at our office. Depending on your child’s visual status and both yours and your child’s lifestyle some of the treatment options may work better than others. We would have happy to discuss the best option for them.

Teri Hines