Win spectacle frames and lenses for your child worth £500

Myopia, otherwise known as short-sightedness, is a common eye condition that causes distant options to appear blurred, while close objects can be seen clearly. The condition is increasing at an alarming rate amongst children and by 2050, it is expected that half of the world’s population will be short-sighted⁽¹⁾.

Given 80 percent of learning happens through vision⁽²⁾, being able to see clearly is essential, especially at school, yet one in three children can’t see their classroom whiteboard properly⁽³⁾.

A new Ipsos survey⁽⁴⁾ commissioned by Essilor® Stellest® lenses amongst 1,000 UK parents has also revealed a serious lack of understanding around myopia in children, with 94% of parents of myopic children wrongly believing that wearing glasses will solve the problem.

Charlotte Timbury, Dispensing Optician and Medical & Professional Affairs Director for EssilorLuxottica, the manufacturers of Essilor® Stellest® lenses, said: "Myopia, or short-sightedness, is when a child can see close up objects but struggles to see objects far away clearly, such as the whiteboard at school. 

“This typically develops in children of school age and the younger a child becomes myopic, the more likely they will develop higher levels of myopia⁽⁵⁾ which can lead to complications in adulthood. It’s evident that many parents and even those whose children are myopic, lack accurate information about myopia. 

“Worryingly, many think that simply making their child wear glasses with corrective lenses solves the problem, unaware that myopia can progress even with corrective lenses. 

“However, there are ways to slow it down with lifestyle changes and by wearing a myopia control spectacle lens, such as Essilor® Stellest® lenses, which will correct myopia and slow down its progression by 67% on average, compared to single vision lenses, when worn at least for 12 hours per day everyday⁽⁶⁾.”

Prize details

One Mumsnet user will be gifted an eye examination for their child and a pair of children’s EssilorLuxottica house brand spectacle frames and lenses (worth £500).

Enter here

Mumsnet T&Cs apply. The competition is open to UK residents only, and is run and promoted by Mumsnet. Competition closes at 11.59pm on 20th December 2024. Prize to be redeemed by 8th May 2025.

About Essilor

Essilor®, part of EssilorLuxottica’s portfolio, is a leader in eyeglass lenses worldwide ⁽⁷⁾ and the number one lens brand recommended by eye care professionals (ECP)⁽⁸⁾. It offers a complete range of solutions dedicated to each individual's vision and lifestyle needs throughout their life. Every Essilor® lens is a combination of multiple complementary technologies thanks to its suite of leading premium vision care solutions, including innovative brands such as Stellest®, Eyezen® and Varilux® and Crizal®. These groundbreaking technologies correct vision, protect eyes from UV rays and enhance visual clarity.

¹Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, Jong M, Naidoo KS, Sankaridurg P, Wong TY, Naduvilath TJ, Resnikoff S. Global prevalence of myopia and high myopia and temporal trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016 May 1;123(5):1036-42.

²Eyeglasses for Global Development: Bridging the Visual Divide; World Economic Forum, Social Entrepreneurs, EYElliance; June 2016.

³Essilor See Change Put Vision First global campaign 2017.

⁴International survey conducted by Ipsos in 6 countries on 6007 parents with at least one child aged from 5 to 17, from a representative sample of individuals aged from 25 to 60 in terms of age, gender, occupation, region. UK: 1000 interviews / Italy: 1001 interviews / France: 1000 interviews / Brazil: 1001 interviews / India: 1005 interviews / China: 1000 interviews. Online interviews from June 24^th to July 15^th 2024.

⁵Bullimore MA, Richdale K. Myopia Control 2020: Where are we and where are we heading?Ophthal Physiol Opt 2020;40:254–270.

⁶Bao J, Huang Y, Li X, Yang A, Zhou F, Wu J, Wang C, Li Y, Lim EW, Spiegel DP, Drobe B. Spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets for myopia control vs single-vision spectacle lenses: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA ophthalmology. 2022 May 1;140(5):472-8.

⁷Source: Euromonitor, Eyewear 2023 edition; Essilor International company; worldwide retail value sales at RSP. 

⁸Quantitative research conducted among a representative sample of 958 independent ECPs by CSA in February 2019 – France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, Canada, Brazil, China, India.