I recently attended a product launch and education evening by world renowned myopia expert, Dr Kate Gifford. Hence the topic of this article.
Why do we care about Myopia in children?
· 80 percent of all learning occurs through vision
· Visual impairment affects a child’s schooling, sporting, physical and social development
· The younger the child’s age at myopia onset; the faster they progress and the more likely they are to become highly myopic as a teen or adult
What is myopia control?
Myopia control is a strategy employed by an Optometrist to reduce either onset or progression of myopia. Once a child is myopic, it is not necessarily possible to stop all progression, but a realistic expectation is to reduce the progression rate by 50 percent.
This may be achieved by way of specialty spectacle lenses, contact lenses or even speciality eye drops.
Why would we bother?
For every 1 dioptre of additional myopia that a child gains in childhood, their risk of developing maculopathy (a disease which affects the very central retina and vision) as an adult increases by 60 percent!
To think of this another way, for every 1 dioptre we prevent in childhood, that child’s risk of maculopathy as an adult decreases by 40 percent!. This is literally sight saving and quality of life saving. Not to mention a cost saving for our health system as patients with maculopathy require ongoing care and management.
So what is the latest technology available?
The brand new Stellest lens by Essilor slows down myopia progression by 67 percent on average when compared to a child wearing normal single vision lenses.
The Stellest lens will correct the myopia, thus your child will see clearly but also it works to slow the elongation of the eye, thus reducing myopia progression.
These lenses are safe as they are made from polycarbonate material which is not only impact resistant but also lightweight. The lens provides superb scratch resistance as well as UV protection with the incorporation of our Crizal Rock anti-reflective coating.
We recommend a 6 monthly review to ensure your child’s eyes and vision are staying on track and if the prescription has changed by a half dioptre or more at that visit, we will update the lenses free of charge. We also offer a second pair of lenses at 50 percent discount, to ensure your child will never be caught short without clear vision!