New Study Confirms the Effectiveness of Special Contact Lenses for Pediatric Myopia Management

A recent NIH-funded study shows that the use of multifocal contact lenses in myopic children can significantly slow down myopia progression—an important step in reducing the risk of developing sight-robbing eye diseases later in life. 

Myopia is a disease where the eye grows too long. The symptom of myopia is nearsightedness, the inability to clearly see objects in the distance. It is not only a common condition among children but is also on the rise globally. What most parents don’t realize is that myopia progression in children is more than an inconvenience—it can actually be dangerous. Severe myopia can dramatically increase your child’s risk of developing serious eye diseases later in life, notably: glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration.

Fortunately, myopia treatments can reduce this risk in children. At Treehouse Eyes, we specialize in treating pediatric myopia to ensure that your child has a lifetime of healthy vision.

What Are Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses?

These lenses are excellent for myopia management. They have a unique optical design that is proven to slow or in some cases even stop myopia in children from getting worse. 

The child simply needs to insert the contact lenses upon waking and remove them before bedtime. In fact, many parents and children have told me that they prefer this myopia management option as they don’t have to worry about misplacing or breaking glasses during school or playing sports.

New Research Confirms Effectiveness

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published the results of a BLINK (Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids) study, which indicates that multifocal contact lenses are clinically proven to reduce myopia progression by 43% after 3 consecutive years of use. 

294 myopic children between the ages of 7 and 11 were randomly assigned to wear either single-vision (standard) contacts or multifocal contacts for 3 consecutive years. The children who wore the high add power multifocal contact lenses had significantly lower rates of myopia progression, as compared to the children who wore the single-vision standard contact lenses or medium add power contact lenses. Moreover, the high add power multifocal lenses even slowed eye elongation. 

Slowing a child’s eye elongation is a key factor in reducing their risk of eye disease later in life. As a child’s eye rapidly elongates with the progression of myopia, the retina (light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye) stretches out, weakening its connection to the rest of the eye. The weaker the retina becomes, the greater the risk of developing sight-threatening complications later on in life.

Soft multifocal lenses are only one of the myopia treatments that we offer to help slow the growth of your child’s eye. The earlier your child undergoes myopia treatment, the greater the chance of slowing—or even halting—myopia progression.

Contact your local Treehouse Eyes provider today and see your child’s quality of life improve before your eyes!