Did you know that Singapore is often referred to as the myopia capital of the world? With a whopping 65% of our children developing myopia by the time they are in Primary 61, this is definitely something to be concerned about. Childhood myopia can cause a host of problems not only during childhood but also later in life. As such, it’s vital for parents to understand why childhood myopia is on the rise, the myths surrounding the condition, and most importantly, how you can #TakeActionToday to slow down its progression.
Why is Childhood Myopia on the Rise?
An important contributing factor to the rise of childhood myopia is our modern lifestyle. Today, children are spending more time indoors and the current pandemic has exacerbated this situation with home-based learning and enrichment classes being shifted online. Even pre-schoolers are attending online lessons. And so, more children are likely to be affected by myopia even at an early age.
Furthermore, children are not spending enough time playing outdoors and getting a healthy dose of sunshine. Increased outdoor time is effective in preventing myopia onset2.
As such, timely intervention to #ControlKidsMyopiaProgression is important, for myopia progression can increase the risk of vision complications later in life.
While studies have shown that , lifestyle is a significant contributing factor as well. This includes children spending less time outdoors and an increase in near work activities such as reading and playing video games.
Myopia Progression
Myopia tends to increase rapidly in young children and can progress between early childhood and adolescence before stabilising. Sometimes, albeit more rarely, it can even progress up to one’s early 20’s. Early detection of myopia is important as scientific studies show that the younger a child becomes myopic, the faster his or her myopia will progress4. It can increase the risk of other eye complications later in life such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and macular degeneration. This is why you need to #TakeActionToday.
Parents need to understand that there is no safe level of myopia. Each additional dioptre (colloquially known as degree, one dioptre is equivalent to 100 degrees)5 increases the risk of high myopia and serious vision-threatening complications later in life for kids. Myopia management should start as early as possible.
Debunking Childhood Myopia Myths
In order for parents to #TakeActionToday, it is essential to quell some of the most common myths surrounding childhood myopia:
Myth 1: It’s Better to Undercorrect my Child’s Myopia
Untrue. Some parents might think of intentionally reducing their child’s spectacle power rather than giving the full prescription as they are worried that their kids will grow to be dependent on their glasses, and hence, worsen their myopia. However, studies have shown that undercorrection of myopia enhances rather than inhibits myopia progression8. According to the research8, undercorrection has no effect on controlling the progression of myopia. In reality, wearing properly prescription glasses relieves eye strain by giving clear vision. Glasses can help prevent further vision problems and make daily tasks more comfortable by delivering the required optical correction.
Myth 2: Myopia has Genetic Influences so You Cannot Control its Progression
Untrue. Myopia causes are multifactorial. Lifestyle does play a key role when it comes to myopia. Thus, timely action to #ControlKidsMyopiaProgression should be considered as soon as myopia is detected.
Myth 3: Standard Single Vision Lenses Control Myopia Progression
Untrue. While standard single vision lenses can correct myopia, they do not help control the progression of it. Hence, using such lenses does not reduce the risk of developing high myopia and vision complications later in life. We need to proactively consider myopia management solutions at the early stages of myopia to prevent the development of high myopia from the onset.
Myth 4: Refractive Surgery or Lasik Reverses Elongated Myopic Eyeball
Untrue. Refractive surgery or Lasik performed at an adult age does not reverse the already elongated myopic eyeball. Your risks of myopia complications are generally the same as somebody of your myopic level, pre-surgery.
Childhood Myopia Management Options
As mentioned, timely action to #ControlKidsMyopiaProgression is of great importance. Thus, it is crucial to implement effective measures to help slow down myopia progression. Here are some options:
1. Myopia Management Lenses
Myopia management lenses like Essilor® Stellest® are aesthetic, safe, and simple to use. They work by sending a slowdown signal to the eyes. This aids in slowing down eye elongation (an irreversible process), which is the cause of worsening myopia progression. As such, these lenses help to provide vision correction and control myopia progression.
Essilor® Stellest® Lenses – Your Solution for Slowing Down Myopia Progression in Kids
#TakeActionToday with Essilor® Stellest® lenses. The Essilor® Stellest® lens consists of a single vision zone and a myopia control zone made with H.A.L.T.^ (highly aspherical lenslet target) technology.
- The single vision zone ensures the correction of refractive error in all gaze
- The 1,021 unique invisible lenses used by the H.A.L.T. technology collectively control how your eyes grow. It lessens the evolution of myopia by slowing down the elongation of your eyes and transmitting a signal into them.
Essilor® Stellest® lenses slow down myopia progression by 67% on average*, compared to single vision lenses, when worn at least 12 hours a day.
Essilor® Stellest® lenses are easy to get used to and comfortable to use for most. 90% of children who used it were fully adapted within just three days while 100% of them adapted within a week6. You can learn more about Essilor® Stellest® lenses here.
2. Pharmaceutical Solutions
Recent clinical trials show that low-dose atropine eye drops such as 0.01% dosage, resulted in the slowing down of myopia progression7. In most cases, the sooner the treatment is administered, the less near-sighted the child will be. However, about 1% of children are poor responders and reported redness or itching in or around the eye8. Also, when the atropine treatment is stopped, myopia progression generally ramps up again8. Thus, it has to be used consistently throughout the child’s growth years. This can only be prescribed by ophthalmologists.
3. Orthokeratology
This is the use of specifically designed and fitted rigid contact lenses to temporarily alter the shape of the cornea to correct myopia and slow down the progression of myopia. Orthokeratology requires the wearer to wear this contact lens to sleep at night. When the wearer wakes up, they do not need to wear correction lenses during the day as their cornea will be reshaped during the night to have clear vision.
It provides a wider field of view and is especially useful when playing sports as wearing spectacles will be inconvenient. However, as it is an invasive solution, there will be risks of infection and inflammation which requires parental supervision to ensure good hygiene to mitigate this risk. It also requires a specialty fitting as well as frequent follow-up visits.
4. Multifocal soft contact lenses
Contact lenses are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. They can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. Contact lenses provide a wider field of vision and are suitable for sports usage. The absence of frames might also provide more comfort to those who are not used to glasses. However, there exists the risk of infection due to the bacteria on hands when wearing contact lenses, or improper care of contact lenses. In some extreme cases, infections can lead to corneal ulcers. Some other common risks associated with contact lenses and not limited to, are dry eyes, corneal edema (swelling of the cornea), and red eyes. Hence, parental supervision to ensure good hygiene is extremely important.
Prevention is better than cure
One way to fight myopia is to use a myopia control solution, but here are some tips to slow down myopia progression in your child!
Ensure that your child
- Spends at least 2 hours per day outdoors
- Observe the 20/20/20 Rule – For every 20 minutes of near work, take a break by looking away at something that is 20 feet away for at least 20
- Avoid too much near work and being too close to screens
- Consult an Eye Care Professional at least once every 6 months
Mums and dads, now that you know more about the causes of childhood myopia and the myths surrounding this problem, you need to take the right steps to help control myopia progression. In addition to making lifestyle changes like spending less time on screens and more time outdoors, it is imperative that you proactively bring your child for regular eye checks every 6 months. You can visit our experts for an assessment. Early detection of myopia is key so you can swiftly intervene to slow down its progression. If your child already has myopia, get the best treatment options and #TakeActionToday!
*Compared to single vision lenses, when worn 12 hours a day. Two-year prospective, controlled, randomized, double-masked clinical trial results on 54 myopic children wearing Stellest® lenses compared to 50 myopic children wearing single vision lenses. Efficacy results based on 32 children who declared wearing Stellest® lenses at least 12 hours per day every day. Bao J. et al. (2021). Myopia control with spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets: a 2-year randomized clinical trial. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.; 62(8):2888 H.A.L.T.: Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target
References
- https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/speech-by-dr-lam-pin-min- senior-minister-of-state-for-health-at-the-opening-of-the-singapore-national- eye-centre-s-myopia-centre-16-august- 2019#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20myopia%20in,Myopia%20Capital% 20of%20the%20World%E2%80%9D.
- French, A.N., Ashby, R.S., Morgan, I.G., Rose, K.A., 2013. Time outdoors and the prevention of Exp. Eye Res. 114, 58–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exer.2013.04.018
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871403/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31116165/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33811039/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21963266/
- https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/low-dose-atropine-kids-with-myopia
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042698902002584
