Parents, how often do you and your children spend time outdoors getting a healthy dose of sunshine? Did you know that your children should spend at least two hours a day doing so1? But here’s the thing, while sunshine is extremely healthy and beneficial for your child, it can damage your child’s eyesight without the necessary protection. Here’s what you should know.
Why It’s Important to Take Care of Your Child’s Eyesight
Let’s first discuss why it’s so important to take good care of your child’s eyesight before we discuss how it can be damaged. As you know, your child’s eyes are their windows to the world. But there’s more to it. Many vision problems begin in childhood. If left uncorrected, these can affect your child’s safety and ability to learn and achieve their potential. Most of these vision problems can be treated and the sooner these are detected, the better the chances of managing or curing these problems.
Some of these vision problems in children include astigmatism, lazy eye, crossed eyes, and refractive errors, which are the most common. There are different types of refractive error, but the most common type is myopia.
What You Must Know About Myopia
Did you know that an estimated 5 billion people, or half the global population could by myopic by 20502? If that sounds worrying, the present situation in Singapore is even more troubling. Singapore is known as the myopia capital of the world with 65% of our children being myopic by Primary 6 and 83% of young adults being myopic3.
As concerned parents, you probably have a host of questions. What exactly is myopia? Why is it a concern? Why is it so prevalent in Singapore? Myopia is basically near sightedness. Your child can see close-up but will have problems seeing things that are far away.
Naturally, this threatens your child’s safety and makes learning harder. If you don’t manage your child’s myopia early, it can progress to high myopia that may lead to higher risks of developing eye diseases. Some of these eye diseases include early cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration3. These complications often cause significant morbidity and may even be sight-threatening3. As such, it is imperative to diagnose and treat myopia as soon as possible.
As to the question of why it is so prevalent in Singapore, while genetics play a part, much of it has to do with lifestyle. Singaporeans place high value on education. Your children are likely to spend more time on near-work activities such as digital devices and less time outdoors. Myopia is exacerbated as a result.
But don’t worry, we are here to tell you all about MiYOSMART, an award-winning breakthrough ophthalmic lens4,5, and how it can help your child’s myopia.
MiYOSMART: Easy, Effective and Non-invasive Myopia Management
MiYOSMART is an innovative ophthalmic lens for myopia management developed by HOYA Vision Care in cooperation with its research collaborator, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). It uses the Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (D.I.M.S.) Technology to slow down myopia progression. Based on the two-year clinical trials result, children wearing MiYOSMART lens had myopic progression reduced by an average of 60% compared to children wearing conventional single vision lens6.
Just last year, the six-year follow up clinical study on MiYOSMART, the longest study conducted on myopia management spectacle lens ever, was shared. The results of the six-year clinical study further proved the strong evidence of MiYOSMART lenses’ effectiveness in slowing down the progression of myopia in children7.
The MiYOSMART lens stands out from other myopia management techniques such as atropine eye drops and night contact lenses due to its non-invasive nature, eliminating the need for any direct contact with the eye. Additionally, these lenses are lightweight, thin, and offer impact resistance, along with UV protection. Wearing MiYOSMART spectacle lens is convenient for your child, as they are easy to comply with and designed to be child-friendly, requiring minimal maintenance and featuring water-repellent and easy-to-clean properties.
A Healthy Dose of Sunshine
Other than myopia management interventions, it is also important that your child practices good eye care habits in terms of behavioural and lifestyle changes.
Outdoor time slows down myopia progression in children8,9. In fact, it is the most recommended behavioural myopia management solution10. It’s probably the simplest and cheapest intervention you can implement right away. But there’s a caveat and you must proceed with caution.
Children are more susceptible to eye damage from UV light than adults, as the majority of lifetime sun exposure occurs under 2111. This is due to the fact that their pupils are larger, and the crystalline lenses of their eyes are more transparent which allows more UV rays to reach the retina12. Therefore, it is especially critical to offer your children effective and reliable sun protection11-13.
MiYOSMART Sun: Photochromic Spectacle Lenses that Manage Myopia
MiYOMART Sun are myopia management lenses with photochromic lens treatment. It adopted the D.I.M.S. Technology to not only corrects myopia but also slow down myopia progression14-16.
Photochromic lenses automatically darken when outdoors and fade back to clear when indoors. This helps to protect children’s eyes from intensive sunlight, providing eye comfort, and thus encouraging children to wear myopia management spectacles outdoors11,17-19.
There are many benefits of photochromic lenses. They reduce glare17-19, decrease symptoms of photophobia18 and improve vision in intensive sunlight17. If your child is self-conscious, don’t worry as MiYOSMART Sun comes in stylish and subtle grey colour.
Protect How Your Child Sees the World
Parents, we hope you find this article useful. Remember, you may not be able to prevent your child from getting myopia, but you sure can manage its progression. Head to your nearest optical store or the HOYA website to find out more about MiYOSMART Sun! Protect your child’s windows to the world today!
References
- Shah R.L. et al, Time outdoors at specific ages during early childhood and risk of incident myopia. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 2/2017, 58(2) pp 1158-1166
- Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036-1042.
- Ministry Of Health Singapore. Available from: 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 (Last accessed 28/04/2023)
- Winners of the exhibition’s grand prix. Inventions Geneva. 2019. Available from: inventions-geneva.ch/en/winners/ (Last accessed 20/02/2023)
- Winners 2020. Silmo Paris. 2020. en.silmoparis.com/SILMO-d-OR/SILMO-d-Or-Awards/2020-Winners# (Last accessed 20/02/2023).
- Myopia progression (SER) by 59% and axial elongation (AL) decreased by 60% compared with those wearing SV lenses. Lam CSY, Tang WC, Tse DY, Lee RPK, Chun RKM, Hasegawa K, Qi H, Hatanaka T, To CH. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomised clinical trial. British Journal of Ophthalmology. Published Online First: 29 May 2019.
- Lam CS, et al. Myopia control in children wearing DIMS spectacle lens: 6 years results. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 63;2022:ARVO E-Abstract 4247.
- Ho CL, Wu WF, Liou YM. Dose-Response Relationship of Outdoor Exposure and Myopia Indicators: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Various Research Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(14):2595.
- Jonas JB, Ang M, Cho P, et al. IMI prevention of myopia and its progression. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021;62(5):6.
- Myopia Survey Data. November 2022. Presented as part of WSPOS Symposium: Comprehensive Update on Myopia Management.19-20 November 2022. Available from: forum.wspos.org/symposium-part-1-comprehensive-update-on-myopia-management-2 (Last accessed: 20/02/2023)
- Sunlight Exposure & Children’s Eyes Consensus Statement. 2016. Available at: www.wspos.org/wspos-sunlight-exposure-childrens-eyes-consensus-statement/ (Last accessed 20/02/2023)
- Prevent Blindness. Children’s Eyes are More Susceptible to Long-Term Damage from UV Rays. 2011. Available at: preventblindness.org/childrens-eyes-are-more-susceptible-to-long-term-damage-from-uv-rays/ (Last accessed 20/02/2023)
- Artigas JM, Felipe A, Navea A, Fandiño A, Artigas C. Spectral transmission of the human crystalline lens in adult and elderly persons: color and total transmission of visible light. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(7):4076-4084.
- Lam CSY, Tang WC, Tse DY, et al. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomised clinical trial. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020;104(3):363-368.
- HOYA data on file. PSF test on MiYOSMART clear and sun spectacle lenses. 06/2022
- HOYA data on file. Lens performance validation test for MiYOSMART photochromic lenses – activation and deactivation. 02/2023. Tests were conducted at room temperature (23 °C).
- Lakkis C, Weidemann K. Evaluation of the performance of photochromic spectacle lenses in children and adolescents aged 10 to 15 years. Clin Exp Optom. 2006;89(4):246-252.
- Renzi-Hammond LM, Hammond BR Jr. The effects of photochromic lenses on visual performance. Clin Exp Optom. 2016;99(6):568-574.
- Wu PC, Kuo HK. Effect of photochromic spectacles on visual symptoms and contrast sensitivity of myopic schoolchildren treated with low dose concentration atropine. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016;57:2484.
