Dual vision contact lenses halve the progression of myopia in children
Myopia is behind visual impairment(s) of the eye that is correctable by using optical aides such as spectacles or contact lenses. While the use of these optical aides is not a permanent solution, a six-year peer review paper affirms that daily wear contact lenses by global contact lens manufacturer, CooperVision, provides effective myopia control in children.
Asian countries have seen a surge in myopia cases in recent years: in many East Asian countries in particular, myopia has become a major public health concern affecting between 80-90% of high school graduates, of which about 10-20% have sight-threatening pathologic myopia. It is thought to be caused by the increased intensity of education these from early on.
The CooperVision MiSight-1-day wear contact lenses has demonstrated myopia control in school-going children. In the longest-running soft contact lens study among children, 90% of myopic eyes responded to MiSight-1-day wear with a proportional treatment effect; evidence also indicated a sustained slowing of eye growth with no loss of effectiveness over time.
[Children aged 8-15 were recruited into the study and followed for six years for treatment for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia, which involved the use of MiSight-1-day soft hydrophilic contact lenses. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.]
“Myopia is a disease that progresses over many years, so demonstrating sustained efficacy is critical,” said Paul Chamberlain, CooperVision Director of Research Programs. “Eye care professionals can prescribe MiSight-1-day with confidence knowing that the majority of children respond to treatment which lasts.”
The findings further complement additional CooperVision research demonstrating that the MiSight-1-day lens slows the rate of myopia progression by half at all observed ages including in older children. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can recommend these or ortho-k contact lenses along with atropine eye drops to manage myopia.
Read: An eye on future vision: Taiwanese ophthalmic innovations
