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Myopia Control – Dr. Emma Stewart-Bates

Myopia is more than just blurry vision.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is an ocular condition that causes blurry distance vision due to the light rays focusing in front of the retina instead of on the retina. This condition often develops and worsens during childhood and teen years, although it can continue to progress through adulthood as well. High levels of myopia are associated with more severe eye conditions including retinal detachments, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic macular degeneration (1). The risks for these severe conditions are not reduced with refractive surgeries such as LASIK. Genetics and lifestyle factors both contribute to myopia development. Current research projects that about 40% of children and adolescents will have myopia by 2050 (an increase of almost 15% since 1990) (2) and about 50% of the entire world population will have myopia by 2050 (3). 

What can we do about it?

Research on myopia control has made massive strides over the past 10-15 years, resulting in reliable, effective methods of slowing the progression of myopia in children and teens. While there are interventions that can be implemented at home, such as increased outdoor time (4), optometrists can now slow the progression of myopia in kids with other tools such as specialized contact lenses and glasses or prescription eye drops (5-11). The FDA has approved two methods of myopia control- MiSight daily disposable contact lenses (approved November 2019) and Stellest glasses (approved September 2025) (12-13).

While no form of myopia control can reverse or “cure” myopia, slowing the progression of myopia significantly reduces the total amount of myopia from what it would have been without intervention. This outcome is important because any reduction in myopia leads to a decreased risk of severe eye disease and vision impairment in the future. Myopia control ultimately results in better quality of life and vision preservation throughout your child’s lifetime. 

Please contact our office to schedule an appointment if you are interested in myopia control for your child. 

Photo of Dr. Bates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma Stewart-Bates, OD, MS
Gainesville Vision
(352)-448-3932

  1. Saw SM, Gazzard G, Shih-Yen EC, Chua WH. Myopia and associated pathological complications. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2005 Sep;25(5):381-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2005.00298.x. PMID: 16101943.
  2. Liang J, Pu Y, Chen J, Liu M, Ouyang B, Jin Z, Ge W, Wu Z, Yang X, Qin C, Wang C, Huang S, Jiang N, Hu L, Zhang Y, Gui Z, Pu X, Huang S, Chen Y. Global prevalence, trend and projection of myopia in children and adolescents from 1990 to 2050: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Ophthalmol. 2025 Feb 24;109(3):362-371. doi: 10.1136/bjo-2024-325427. PMID: 39317432.
  3. Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, Jong M, Naidoo KS, Sankaridurg P, Wong TY, Naduvilath TJ, Resnikoff S. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016 May;123(5):1036-42. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.006. Epub 2016 Feb 11. PMID: 26875007.
  4. He X, Sankaridurg P, Wang J, Chen J, Naduvilath T, He M, Zhu Z, Li W, Morgan IG, Xiong S, Zhu J, Zou H, Rose KA, Zhang B, Weng R, Resnikoff S, Xu X. Time Outdoors in Reducing Myopia: A School-Based Cluster Randomized Trial with Objective Monitoring of Outdoor Time and Light Intensity. Ophthalmology. 2022 Nov;129(11):1245-1254. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.06.024. Epub 2022 Jun 30. PMID: 35779695.
  5. Yam JC, Jiang Y, Tang SM, Law AKP, Chan JJ, Wong E, Ko ST, Young AL, Tham CC, Chen LJ, Pang CP. Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial of 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% Atropine Eye Drops in Myopia Control. Ophthalmology. 2019 Jan;126(1):113-124. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.05.029. Epub 2018 Jul 6. PMID: 30514630.
  6. Walline JJ, Greiner KL, McVey ME, Jones-Jordan LA. Multifocal contact lens myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2013 Nov;90(11):1207-14. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000036. PMID: 24061152.
  7. Chamberlain P, Peixoto-de-Matos SC, Logan NS, Ngo C, Jones D, Young G. A 3-year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight Lenses for Myopia Control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019 Aug;96(8):556-567. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000001410. PMID: 31343513.
  8. Cho P, Cheung SW. Retardation of myopia in Orthokeratology (ROMIO) study: a 2-year randomized clinical trial. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Oct 11;53(11):7077-85. doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-10565. PMID: 22969068.
  9. 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 Ophthalmol. 2022 May 1;140(5):472-478. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0401. PMID: 35357402; PMCID: PMC8972151.
  10. Chia A, Chua WH, Cheung YB, Wong WL, Lingham A, Fong A, Tan D. Atropine for the treatment of childhood myopia: safety and efficacy of 0.5%, 0.1%, and 0.01% doses (Atropine for the Treatment of Myopia 2). Ophthalmology. 2012 Feb;119(2):347-54. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.07.031. Epub 2011 Oct 2. PMID: 21963266.
  11. Yam JC, Li FF, Zhang X, Tang SM, Yip BHK, Kam KW, Ko ST, Young AL, Tham CC, Chen LJ, Pang CP. Two-Year Clinical Trial of the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study: Phase 2 Report. Ophthalmology. 2020 Jul;127(7):910-919. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.12.011. Epub 2019 Dec 21. PMID: 32019700.
  12. https://www.aao.org/education/headline/fda-oks-first-contact-lens-slow-childhood-myopia
  13. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-marketing-first-eyeglass-lenses-slow-progression-pediatric-myopia

Posted On: October 22, 2025 @ 10:05pm
Posted In: Uncategorized