Do you have questions about myopia? Q&A with expert optician

[CeriMumsnet]

This Q&A is now closed. Thanks to everyone who shared a question on myopia for Charlotte, you can see the answers here.

Don't forget to sign up to attend Essilor's Class of Myopia event in Kensington on Friday 29 November to learn more!

We’re working with Essilor’s expert dispensing optician, Charlotte Timbury, to answer your questions about myopia (short-sightedness) in children. Whether you have questions about how myopia is detected, or you’d like some advice on how to manage your child’s myopia, Charlotte and Essilor are here to help.

• Post your questions on the thread below.
• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below by 12/11 will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 voucher
• Charlotte will be online in a few weeks to answer some of your questions.
• To learn more about short-sightedness in children, sign up here to attend Essilor’s ‘Class of Myopia’ event for families on 29 November.

About the expert
Charlotte Timbury FBDO qualified as a dispensing optician in 2002. With over twenty years’ experience in optics, she began her career in a highly successful, independent practice before joining Essilor in 2014. Here she has held various roles from business development manager to professional relations; a role with a primary focus on developing and delivering education and training to the industry as well as other support to various optical bodies. Charlotte is now the North Europe medical and professional affairs director for EssilorLuxottica, the manufacturers of Essilor® Stellest® lenses.

Here’s what Essilor® Stellest® lenses has to say:

“By 2025, myopia is predicted to impact half(1) of the World’s population and a
staggering one billion people are predicted to have high myopia. Higher degrees of myopia pose a greater risk of ocular complications that may lead to visual impairment or even blindness later in life. However, the earlier myopia is detected and managed in a child, the greater the chance progression can be slowed down with simple lifestyle changes and wearing a myopia control spectacle lens such as Essilor® Stellest® lenses.

A new survey(2) commissioned by Essilor® Stellest® lenses amongst 1,000 UK parents has also revealed gaps in knowledge around myopia in children, with 94% of parents of myopic children wrongly believing that wearing glasses will solve the problem.”

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ
Insight Terms and Conditions apply

References:

1. Source: Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036-1042.doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.006
2. International 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 24th to July 15th 2024

Hi @HobNobAddict Generally, it is recommended to wear Essilor® Stellest® lenses in both eyes, where the prescription is suitable

Hi @Britanniaa In the clinical trials, we found Essilor® Stellest® lenses slowed myopia progression by 55% in all subjects, but when we extracted those children wearing the lenses for 12 hours or more every day, this figure increased to 67%, on average*(1)

*Two-year prospective, controlled, randomized, double-masked clinical trial results on 54 myopic children wearing Essilor® Stellest® lenses compared to 50 myopic children wearing single vision lenses in Wenzhou China. Results based on 32 children from the Test Group wearing Essilor® Stellest® lenses at least 12 hours per day every day for two consecutive years..

1. Bao, J., et al. Spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets for myopia control vs single-vision spectacle lenses: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022;140(5):472–478;

Hi @prawncocktailcrispss There are certain factors that can suggest a child may become short-sighted, these may be family history and ethnic background. A child's early prescription can also indicate whether they may become short-sighted and your optometrist will be trained to look out for any of these indications during a sight test.

Hi @m0jit0 Family history of myopia is a significant factor to determine if a child will become myopic. A child whose parents are both myopic is, for example, up to five times more likely to become so. If one parent is myopic, the child may be twice as likely to develop myopia than a child with parents unaffected by the condition (1,2).

1.Jones L, Sinnott L, Mutti D, Mitchell G, Moeschberger M. Parental history of myopia, sports and outdoor activities, and future myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2007; 48(8): 3524-3532.
2.Donovan L, Sankaridurg P, Ho A, Naduvilath T, Smith EL 3rd, Holden BA. Myopia progression rates in urban children wearing single-vision spectacles. Optom Vis Sci. 2012;89(1):27-32. doi:10.1097/OPX.0b013e3182357f79

Hi @ButterOllocks Generally, it is recommended to wear Essilor® Stellest® lenses in both eyes, where the prescription is suitable.

Hi @lillypopdaisyduke We know that the prevalence of myopia worldwide is increasing so most ophthalmologists, optometrists and dispensing opticians are aware of, and are trained on, products that slow down myopia progression. You can visit www.essilor.com/uk-en/optician-finder to search for an optician that provides Essilor® Stellest® in your area. The clinical trial enrolled children between 8-13 years old. However, as soon as myopia progression has been detected in a child, Essilor® Stellest® lenses can be recommended. Early intervention would be beneficial.

Thank you again for all of your questions and comments, it has been a pleasure to answer them. I hope that the information received is helpful, encouraging and allows you to make a more informed decision when it comes to myopia management. Remember, your local eye care provider is trained and on hand to help you with any queries you may have when it comes to protecting the eye health of yourself, your family and loved ones. Please do visit Essilor.com to find a local optician if you need more support or would like to book an eye test.

Take care!
Charlotte