Myopia control for young children - atropine etc

[flyingpinkrabbit]

My DC is very young and has been dishonours with myopia. Has any parent experienced this and used any method of myopia control? Such as atropine drop, Othro K lense, Misight and Hoya frames? Thanks

By myopia do you mean your child is short sighted?

If so then get glasses for them. That's the way to treat short sightedness.

What has the optician recommended?

If your kid is young standard practice is to get them referred to a hospital ophthalmology department by the GP for an their eye test.

Then follow the treatment prescribed by be the specialist. So this can include surgery if they have something like a squint or just be glasses. If they decide the child doesn't need medical intervention they will discharge them tell you to go to a high street optician.

I use to go to a department as a child, and now my DD goes though her prescription is different from mine.

DC has been using misight contact lenses and their equivalent in glasses (they are available through small range of opticians) for the past 6 months.
Lenses are amazing, he learned to use them (in and out) within couple of days. They finally allow him to fully participate in games and various sports.
Glasses, again really easy to adjust to, compare to regular ones.
We are having eye test next month to check if they finally got his myopia under control. His vision was declining every year since his diagnosis 3 years ago.

As the OP suggests, there’s a lot of focus these days on trying to ensure myopia (short sight) doesn’t get worse, partly because it tends to as children get older, and partly because past a certain point there are wider issues with the eyes. Misight, ortho K etc lenses help prevent the myopia getting worse, by making sure the back of the eye gets all the light it should (or something- I’m not an expert just a parent).

OP, my son has misight lenses. We have myopia in the family, and were advised from an early age how important it was that our kids had masses of natural light (try to read outside where possible for instance rather than inside), which they think reduces progression. He got to pre-teens before he needed glasses which is good considering our family, and was old enough to go straight to misight lenses which they hope will keep the prescription stable. He has no problem wearing them (took about a month to fully get used to), so fingers crossed it works.

Thank you for the kind reply. She is very young, I think she has used too much tablets during lockdown in addition to the gene perhaps. The optician mentioned the use of traditional glasses or the more expensive ones like Hoya, or Othro K lense when she is a bit older. However, they all mentioned that the atropine eye drop is proved to be the most effective methods. Do you have much related experience?

Thank you. I think the lockdown online studies has accelerated the progress of myopia and the gene of her dad. My whole family has very good eyes, so I was ignorant to priotise the importance of eye care. I regret and feel very guilty.

Could I ask if you have heard atropine? When has your child started using Othro K? Has it helped a lot? Thank you

Thanks for the reply.

May I ask what’s the age of your child when you found out about myopia? Have you heard atropine and Hoya frame? Thanks

Thank you for sharing. Do you know much about atropine?

How old is she OP and what is her prescription?

@RedMarauder a child wouldn't be referred to the hospital eye department for simple myopia.

Two of my kids have been recommended these special lenses but they are 11 and 14, it's supposed to reduce progression by 60% I think, it's fairly certain it's inherited myopia though

Atropine is used to dilate the eye and does not treat myopia, whereas the others are used to slow down the progression of myopia, and with ortho k, possibly even reverse it over time.

You need to speak to the optometrist who did the eye exam as they are best placed to advise you and you may need to move to an opticians that specialises in myopia control.

Just thought, thinking you were in the UK where atropine is not licensed for myopia control but is being used in some other countries, so depends where you are in the world as to what options are available to you. Good luck!

@MissSmiley

Two of my kids have been recommended these special lenses but they are 11 and 14, it's supposed to reduce progression by 60% I think, it's fairly certain it's inherited myopia though

Could you please let me know which lenses are you using? Othro K or Misght? Are they good? Thanks

@Starlitexpress

Just thought, thinking you were in the UK where atropine is not licensed for myopia control but is being used in some other countries, so depends where you are in the world as to what options are available to you. Good luck!

Thank you. I know in some countries the eye drops are used to slow the progression, however the long term side effect is not yet known. Thanks for the kind reply.

@underneaththeash

How old is she OP and what is her prescription?

@RedMarauder a child wouldn't be referred to the hospital eye department for simple myopia.

The OP said her child was young so they will be if they are 5 and under.

My DD was referred as a 2 year old. My friends and neighbours kids were also referred after their 2 year old health check. Some have then been discharged to normal opticians.

I was referred as a 5 year old when I started school.

May I ask if your children also have myopia? @RedMarauder

There are a couple of places who are using low dose atropine drops in the U.K. for myopia control. The best lens solution often depends in the child’s age and prescription.

@RedMarauder I suspect your child doesn’t have simple myopia. We wouldn’t refer to the hospital for that alone. The referral would not be necessary or accepted.

Thank you all for the reply

My little girl was 6 years old when she started wearing glasses due to myopia. Her prescription was -1.50 in both eyes. She started wearing ortho K lenses at night to stop the progression of myopia, which she absolutely hated. The poor thing stuck it out for years and her prescription never changed during that time. However, she got fed up around age 11 and stopped wearing the lenses. Her eyesight quickly deteriotated after that and every following year. At 20 years of age her prescription is now -5.50 and - 5.75. I am scared to think what would be it be if she never used ortho k lenses.

@Emmmie

My little girl was 6 years old when she started wearing glasses due to myopia. Her prescription was -1.50 in both eyes. She started wearing ortho K lenses at night to stop the progression of myopia, which she absolutely hated. The poor thing stuck it out for years and her prescription never changed during that time. However, she got fed up around age 11 and stopped wearing the lenses. Her eyesight quickly deteriotated after that and every following year. At 20 years of age her prescription is now -5.50 and - 5.75. I am scared to think what would be it be if she never used ortho k lenses.

Thanks for your reply. May I ask if you have started using OthroK for your child at the age of 6? Was it difficult for you to put it on for her? If you could have the chance again, would you like to keep her wearing OthroK at the age of 11? I’ve heard that the eye sights won’t be stabilised till early 18s. Thanks

Yes, my daughter started wearing Ortho K lenses around the age of 6 with the prescription of -1.50 in both eyes. I used to help her put the lenses in at night and take them out in the morning. The lenses came with a little stick with a suction cup at the end of it which made the putting in/taking out process easier.
If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would and I would have her wear the contacts until her vision stabilises. However, it is easy for me to wish she continued wearing them when in fact she absolutely hated it. It was difficult for her to fall asleep and she never quite got used to it. But, she stuck it out for 5-6 years and her prescription never changed during this time. She is now glad she did it.
I should also mention that my daughter was closely monitored by a reputable optometrist for any eye damage and her eyesight was checked regularly.
She did not need to wear glasses during the day as her vision was good. It did get a bit weaker towards bedtime as the effect of ortho k lenses wore off, which was fine.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to help if I can.

@Emmmie

Yes, my daughter started wearing Ortho K lenses around the age of 6 with the prescription of -1.50 in both eyes. I used to help her put the lenses in at night and take them out in the morning. The lenses came with a little stick with a suction cup at the end of it which made the putting in/taking out process easier. If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would and I would have her wear the contacts until her vision stabilises. However, it is easy for me to wish she continued wearing them when in fact she absolutely hated it. It was difficult for her to fall asleep and she never quite got used to it. But, she stuck it out for 5-6 years and her prescription never changed during this time. She is now glad she did it. I should also mention that my daughter was closely monitored by a reputable optometrist for any eye damage and her eyesight was checked regularly. She did not need to wear glasses during the day as her vision was good. It did get a bit weaker towards bedtime as the effect of ortho k lenses wore off, which was fine. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be happy to help if I can.

Thank you so very much for sharing your experience, truly grateful! If you don’t mind, would you kindly recommend the optometrist? I have consulted many opticians and optometrists, but they think my child is a bit too young for OthroK although I’m waiting to put it in for her at first. Thank you

You are very welcome!⚘
His name is Dr.Mah, but he is based in Canada. We used to live there.

The corneal structure changes a lot in early childhood, which is why practitioners only fit from age 6 (and only then if they meet any other suitability criteria). If several optometrists have told you that she isn't suitable, there is a reason for that.

If you post your daughter's prescription and age and if she has any co-dependent eye conditions (like ROP), I will tell you the options for her eyes. There are a few trials at the moment which she may be eligible for.

@Emmmie

You are very welcome!⚘ His name is Dr.Mah, but he is based in Canada. We used to live there.

Thank you!