Which is better for children's myopia?

[Sunshinedayy]

Is an accurate prescription better or a full prescription?

Just that really. I know under correcting and over correcting are bad but is there a diffrence between accurate prescription and full prescription? If so which is better for children's myopia? Or are they interchangeable?

I’m pretty short sighted (about -11 or so) and haven’t heard of those two terms. Although my myopia didn’t get picked up until I was about 6.

They are not interchangeable. A Full Prescription provides the maximum appropriate corrective lens. With a child or someone who has never worn glasses before, I would go for an Accurate Prescription - better in the first instance to under-correct than over. I am NOT an ophthalmologist though, and you would be advised to be guided by an expert.

I recommend Miyosmart lenses or similar, for myopia control.

I had early short sightedness (age 5) and am nearly -10 as an adult. One of my children was on the same trajectory as me, but we got Miyosmart lenses on the optometrist's recommendation and the deterioration stopped altogether at -3.75, and has held steady with no deterioration for the past several years. Marvellous!

My son had these. They did slow down the advance of myopia.
www.visionexpress.com/brands/stellest-lenses

@HelenaWaiting.

I didn't realise an accurate prescription is under correcting?

@OtterlyAstounding

I am looking into this. Do they get a new vision test for the myopia control lenses or do would they go from my child's very recent prescription for regular glasses.

As a very short sighted person, who has been for about 40 years, I’d strongly advocate for an accurate and fully corrective prescription.

Not being able to see properly is shite.

They just use the prescription you already have. Deffo ask around about prices though. Varies so much even for the same brand. We had to go back for a check after a couple of weeks too.

And the myopic control lenses are great. My eldest has had glasses and contact lenses for a couple of years now, and their vision has stabilised.

@Scotinoz

Is there a difference between an accurate and fully corrective prescription.

Also how would I know if she has a full prescription?

Where have you got this question from - “an accurate prescription or a full prescription?”

What do you mean? Do you even know what you mean?

An optometrist should be able prescribe the most appropriate prescription for any individual person in any situation. They should know the appropriate prescription to give.

When it comes to myopia there is no difference really between an accurate prescription and a full prescription.

Undercorrecting myopia has been shown to encourage progression of myopia, so should not be done any more.

Following because having been to opticians for 60 years I've never come across these terms?

Both my DC have the myopia control lenses, they are expensive, I think we pay £225 a pair but they are worth it as they slow progression by about 67% iirc.

@LegoEmergency

I am asking because my child has 2 very different prescriptions for myopia which threw me off so I looked further into this and read that a full prescription is best for myopia. Her new optom gave her a new prescription and advised that he is very happy with the prescription he has given her and advised that he has given her an accurate prescription.

This prescription is a lower sph than his first prescription. So I'm now just wondering if the "accurate" is a full prescription as I am worried about under correcting and over correcting as I don't want it to become unnecessary worse.

I’m guessing they’re both accurate and it’s just changed. I would go with the most recent one.

I agree with this. They are also working well for my children.

The child who started wearing them at 7 is only a -1.25 several years later. Sibling who started at the same time but was a few years older is -3.
I am a -11.

They are not suitable for all 7 year olds. The optician said mine was the youngest they had fitted but felt dc was sensible and able to use them. Just allow an extra 20 mins a day for the first month. Within 6 months it was just part of the routine.

They are daily disposables - you take one day off a week.

It would be highly unlikely for a child’s myopia to decrease. It is possible that either the old prescription was too strong or the new one is not right.

I guess you’d only know by having another test!

@LegoEmergency

He said the old prescription was too strong

How old is your child? Basically if a pair of glasses for myopia is not strong enough, than by definition they won’t be able to see very well for small things in the far distance. If the new prescription is undercorrecting then the details in the distance will be blurry.

So as long as your child is old enough to be able to tell you, then if they can see clearly with the new lower prescription, then in all likelihood the old one was too strong.

An accurate prescription isn't under correcting per se, but a full prescription is more likely to over correct than an accurate one would be.

My child had an eye test as part of getting the glasses as it had been 6 months, but if your child's last test was very recent, the optometrist will use that.

As for the new prescription, in my experience a good optometrist will err on the side of under correcting slightly rather than over correcting, so as to not weaken the eyes.

No myopia progresion in my DC9 for 2.5 years in Stellast glasses, bought from Boots. Progressed really fast to -2.75 before that. But I limit screentime to 30min most of the days, can make exception for a movie once a week.

Without NHS voucher and with frame for around £100, glasses were £350 in total, incl 1-year insurance. Maybe next time will try Visionexpress as they have blue light discount.

We had eye tests in 4 different Boots in London (S. Kensington, Oxford St., Covent Garden and another central location) and no one asked us about this even once. That's... interesting.

There is no such thing as an “accurate prescription.” You’re talking about it as if it’s a thing. It’s not.

An optometrist choosing whether or not to give someone their “full prescription” is really for + prescriptions (ie hypermetropia) where children can see with less prescription - or no prescription- but their eye muscles are working really hard to do it. You give less than the full prescription sometimes to allow time for the muscles to learn to relax.

None of this is applicable to myopia at all. If you give a myope less than their “full” prescription then they can’t see clearly. So their full prescription is what is “accurate.”