Myopia Control

Slow the progression of your child’s nearsightedness.

Does your child have difficulty seeing distant objects?

Myopia (nearsightedness) typically starts to develop in childhood and often progresses until about age 20.

Slowing the progression is important because it may reduce the risk of developing serious eye conditions later in life such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and blindness.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is the inability to see things clearly unless they’re relatively close to your eyes. Also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia is the most common vision issue among children and young adults. Myopia occurs when the eye grows too long from front to back, causing light to come to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

Slow the progression of your child’s nearsightedness.

Myopia typically starts during early childhood and, unless treated, can progress rapidly. Early intervention can slow, or even stop, the progression of myopia. Myopia is becoming much more common in children, showing up at earlier ages and progressing more rapidly. Researchers believe reduced outdoor time and increased near focus time—especially on devices—are part of the problem, along with inherited risk (genetics). Long term, myopia can lead to struggles in school, limit physical activities and increase risk of vision threatening eye disease for the remainder of a person’s life.

Your child may be right for our myopia management programs if:

• Your child needs glasses to see clearly for things in the distance.
• An immediate family member (father, mother, sibling) is myopic. This includes if a family member has had LASIK or another refractive surgery procedure for their myopia.
• Your child spends more than 2.5 hours per day on close work (reading and using electronic devices, etc.)
• Your child spends less than 1.5 hours per day outdoors, including school recess/breaks.

How do you “control” myopia?

At Mountain View Vision, we use state-of-the-art instrumentation to develop a personalized treatment plan for your child. Our non-invasive therapies include customized contact lenses, special prescription eyewear and therapeutic eye drops. At your initial consultation, your Mountain View Vision doctor will work with you to determine the myopia management program that is best for your child.

MiSight Contact Lens Program

CooperVision’s MiSight® is the first and only daily contact lens approved by the FDA to slow the progression of myopia (ages 8-12 at the initiation of treatment). Children insert the soft, daily wear, single-use contact lenses in their eyes in the morning, wear them for at least 10 hours during the day, then dispose of them in the evening. This specialized type of soft multifocal lens slows myopia progression on average by 60%. The FDA-approved lens is available as part of a comprehensive myopia management plan developed by your doctor.

Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) or Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)

CRT contact lenses are specially designed to be worn at night, inserted right before bed, and taken out in the morning. These custom rigid contact lenses reshape the front surface of the eye during sleep, with a visual effect that lasts all day. These lenses are uniquely designed for each child and stay at home, so there is little risk of a child losing them. Vision remains clear during the day without a need for glasses or regular contact lenses for school, sports, or other activities. CRT is shown to reduce myopia progression by as much as 60%.

Atropine Eye Drops

A prescription eye drop, atropine is formulated to a specific, very low concentration known to reduce the progression of myopia. These drops are applied at night before bed, according to the schedule your Mountain View Vision doctor recommends. The child wears glasses or contact lenses during the day. This treatment is excellent for families concerned if their child is ready for a contact lens treatment, and often used for younger children or those showing rapid progression. Atropine 0.05% slows myopia progression by about 50%. Atropine can also be used additively to other treatments if progression is noted.

Did you know we can screen infants and children, aged 6 and under, for the signs of developing myopia and catch this concern before you or your child are aware it is coming? Call to schedule a comprehensive eye examination today to evaluate your child’s risk.

For more information or questions regarding myopia or Mountain View Vision's Myopia Management Program, please feel free to reach out by phone or email.