Myopia is also referred to as “short-sightedness” and means that near objects are clear, but objects further away are blurred.

In the UK, the percentage of children who develop myopia is increasing sharply. Myopia in children aged between 10-16 years has more than doubled over the last 50 years, and children are becoming myopic at a younger age. Children with parents who have myopia are more likely to be myopic than those without.

Myopia typically develops during childhood and, without intervention, tends to increase while a child is growing, meaning their prescription becomes stronger and stronger.

A routine sight test with our optometrist will quickly establish whether your child is myopic. Sight tests are free under the NHS for children aged 16 and under, and for 17-19 year-olds in full-time education.

Traditionally, when a child has myopia they are given glasses or contact lenses to correct their prescription and allow them to see clearly. As they grow their prescription increases and they are given stronger glasses/contact lenses.

However, a lot of research is going into myopia, and scientists are looking for ways to slow down its progression. This is called myopia management.

The current evidence shows that some forms of myopia management can reduce myopia progression by an average of 60%.

There is evidence that people with myopia are at a higher risk of developing sight threatening eye problems later in life. By undertaking myopia management, you may be reducing your child’s risk of developing certain eye conditions later in life, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, or myopic degeneration.

The first step is to book an appointment for an initial assessment with our specially trained Optometrist. We will look family history, age, current prescription, lifestyle and environmental factors to predict the risk of myopia and potential progression.

You can get a head start by completing this short survey https://www.mykidsvision.org/en-us/Survey

We will conduct an in-depth assessment of your child’s myopia, including using special eye drops to calculate the most accurate prescription. Then if suitable, we will discuss the options available to your child for myopia management, which could include lifestyle advice, specialist MiYOSMART spectacle lenses, MiSight contact lenses or a combination, allowing you to make an informed decision.