Early Intervention for Myopia Is Essential
More children than ever are being diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness). Myopia doesn't just cause blurry distance vision, but may also increase the risk of several serious vision conditions. Luckily, your ophthalmologist offers several interventions that may slow the progression of myopia.
How Myopia Affects Your Child's Vision
The shape of the eyeball plays an important role in vision. Light entering the eye must be focused directly on the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye for good vision. If the eyeball is too long or too short, vision isn't as sharp as it should be.
In myopia, the eyeball is longer than normal. As a result, light focuses in front of the retina, and objects in the distance look blurry.
Why Early Intervention Is Important
Have you noticed more people wearing glasses? It's not your imagination. In 2010, just 27% of the world's population had myopia. That number is rising and is expected to increase to more than 50% by 2050, according to a 2021 article in the Beyoglu Eye Journal.
Eye doctors believe that the increase in myopia rates may be caused by:
- Near Work. Children who spend more time reading or performing other near work may be at increased risk for myopia.
- Lack of Sun Exposure. Spending less time outdoors could also increase your child's myopia risk.
- Screen Use. Myopia may also be related to a child's use of digital screens. According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open in 2025, nearsightedness increased significantly in children who spent between 1 to 4 hours using digital screens, then rose more gradually after four hours.
If you have myopia, or know someone who is nearsighted, you may be wondering why your child needs early intervention. After all, being nearsighted may seem like a minor inconvenience.
Although eyeglasses sharpen your child's vision, myopia could put your child at risk for several serious eye conditions and diseases including:
- Retinal Detachment. Nearsighted people with high (strong) prescriptions are more likely to develop detached retinas. The problem happens when the retina peels away from the back of the eye. Permanent loss of vision can occur if the retina isn't quickly reattached.
- Open-Angle Glaucoma (OAG). Open-angle glaucoma damages the optic nerve, the pathway between the eyes and brain. If the optic nerve is damaged, vision loss is irreversible. According to a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in 2022, near-sighted people have double the risk for OAG compared to people who don't have myopia.
- Macular Degeneration. Macular degeneration occurs when cells in the macula at the center of the retina die. The condition causes blurry central vision or loss of central vision.
- Cataracts. The clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy if you have a cataract. Although everyone's risk for cataracts increases with age, people with myopia may develop cataracts earlier than those who aren't nearsighted.
How Your Ophthalmologist Can Help
Early interventions offered by your ophthalmologist could keep myopia from worsening to quickly and may lower your child's lifetime risk of developing serious vision problems.
Interventions include:
- Special Eyeglass Lenses. The Essilor Stellest eyeglass lenses authorized by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2025 slow the progression of myopia. The lenses include tiny raised rings around the center of the lens that help defocus, or blur, side light. According to study information evaluated by the FDA, children who wore the lenses had a 53% reduction in eye elongation at 24 months.
- Peripheral Defocus Contact Lenses. Peripheral defocus contact lenses work just like the special eyeglass lenses and are a good option if your child prefers to wear contact lenses.
- Orthokeratology Contact Lenses. Orthokeratology lenses flatten the clear cornea covering the iris and pupil and keep light rays focused correctly on the retina.
- Multifocal Contact Lenses. These contact lenses include multiple focusing powers in a bull's eye design that helps light focus directly on the retina.
- Atropine Eye Drops. Atropine eye drops relax the muscles that control the shape of the eye's lens and can slow the elongation of the eyeball.
Would you like to find out which myopia early intervention is best for your child? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist.
Sources:
American Journal of Ophthalmology: Degree of Myopia and Glaucoma Risk: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis, 04/2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002939421005237
American Academy of Ophthalmology: Myopia Control in Children, 9/24/2024
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/myopia-control-in-children
JAMA Network Open: Digital Screen Time and Myopia: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis, 2/21/2025
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830598
International Myopia Institute: Myopia
https://myopiainstitute.org/myopia/
U.S. Food & Drug Administration: FDA Authorizes Marketing of First Eyeglass Lenses to Slow Progression of Pediatric Myopia, 9/25/2025
PMC: Beyoglu Eye Journal: More Than Fifty Percent of the World Population Will Be Myopic by 2050, 12/17/2021