Myopia in children

Myopia is a vision disorder that causes blurred distance vision. Its prevalence is increasing, especially among children¹. Myopia can affect a child’s eyesight as well as their quality of life. In the long term, any degree of myopia is associated with an increased risk of eye diseases and visual impairment in adulthood²³.

Myopia is a permanent visual disorder, and its progression may continue into (young) adulthood.

Myopia is often hereditary: if one parent is nearsighted, the child has twice the risk of becoming nearsighted. However, this rapid increase is also due to lifestyle factors, particularly the growing amount of time spent indoors and in front of screens (TV, tablet, mobile phone, etc.). This condition impairs distance vision and can interfere with a child’s development, schooling, and key life stages.

¹ Holden BA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1036–42.
² Sankaridurg P, et al. IMI Impact of Myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021;62:2–2.
³ Haarman AEG, et al. The Complications of Myopia: A Review and Meta-Analysis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020;61(4):49. doi:10.1167/iovs.61.4.49.

Even if your child has difficulty seeing clearly at a distance, they may not necessarily complain about it. However, some signs can be revealing:

• They squint to see far away.
• They cover or close one eye when focusing on something.
• Their eyes often feel tired, and they rub them excessively.
• They frequently complain of eye pain or headaches.
• They sit too close to the television.
• They read or write with their nose almost touching the page.
• They say that distant objects appear blurry.
• They blink excessively.

However, nothing replaces an annual visit to the ophthalmologist, who is the only professional qualified to perform an eye exam for your child. This check-up helps assess their vision and take appropriate action quickly if there is a rapid progression of myopia within a year.
By acting early—while your child’s eyes are still developing—it is indeed possible to slow down the progression of myopia.

Visilab offers Essilor® Stellest® lenses, which correct and slow down the progression of myopia by an average of 67 %*¹.
This latest technology helps to slow the excessive elongation of the eye and thus reduce the progression of myopia.

* Compared to single-vision lenses when worn 12 hours a day, every day, for two consecutive years.
¹ Bao J, Huang Y, Li X, Yang A, Zhou F, Wu J, Wang C, Li Y, Lim EW, Spiegel DP, Drobe B, Chen H. Spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets for myopia control vs single-vision spectacle lenses: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Ophthalmology. 2022;140(5):472–8. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0401.

These lenses are now also available in a sunglasses version, ensuring maximum comfort during the summer season.

The MiSight^® daily soft contact lenses, available in most of our stores**, are also an effective solution to correct your child’s vision and slow the progression of their myopia. They are an excellent alternative to eyeglasses for active children and help them reach their full potential in all their activities, both sports-related and others.

Our expert opticians are here to help you find the most suitable solution for your child. They offer tailor-made options and personalized follow-up, in close collaboration with your ophthalmologist. Make an appointment by phone at your store and bring your prescription for optimal care.

*Source: Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. American Academy of Ophthalmology.

** MiSight contact lenses® are available in all stores, except the following: Visilab City West Chur, Flughafen Zürich, Herblinger Markt, Lancy Centre, Martigny, Montreux, Neuchâtel, Oerlikon, Panorama-Center, Renens, Romanel, Shopping Arena, Seedamm-Center, Sierre, Sihlcity, Sihlporte, Sion, Tägipark und Villars-sur-Glâne

***According to the conditions of the coverage.