Questions and answers about your child’s myopia
Common Questions About Nearsightedness (myopia)
What is nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness is also known as myopia. Often beginning between ages 6 and 12, myopia is a vision condition where distance vision is blurry, but objects up close are clear. It occurs when the shape of the eye causes the rays of light to bend in a way that makes the distance vision blurry. It can get worse every year until early adulthood.
These pictures show what it is like when your child has different levels of myopia. In mild myopia, objects up close are clear and the vision in the distance is blurry. For moderate myopia, the distance, and intermediate vision are blurry and with high myopia, all distances appear blurry. The higher level of myopia, the less likely your child can function easily without some form of vision correction.
Simulated vision with different levels of myopia from mild to moderate to high.
What are the signs that my child may be nearsighted?
You may not know that your child is nearsighted. Early signs may include:
Holding their tablets or phones too close to their face
Sitting close to the TV
Squinting in order to see
Complaining of headaches
Isn’t interested in watching live sports or activities that involve seeing at a distance.
Difficulty seeing the board at school
Sitting in the front row at school
Why does my child have myopia?
Heredity is a factor in whether your child has or will have myopia. In fact, if one parent has myopia, there’s a 25% chance your child will have myopia. If both parents have myopia then that jumps to 50%. 1 But heredity is not the only factor and does not explain why there is a dramatic increase in the prevalence of myopia around the world. The Brien Holden Vision Institute estimates that in 2010 23% of the world’s population was myopic and this is projected to increase to 50% by 2050. 2
There are factors that we parents are able to influence and that appear to play a role in the development of nearsightedness. For example, studies have shown that outdoor time and the amount of time in sunlight are factors. Other factors that we can manage are the amount of screen time and time spend in close-up activities.3
There are also treatment options you can take as a parent to slow down the progression of myopia. These may include nighttime wear contact lenses, daytime wear contact lenses, glasses, and eye drops.
Why should I do about myopia?
Watch for the signs of myopia. Catch it early, before it fully develops and you may slow the onset and the progression. See an eye care professional early and on a regular basis. They will help you manage your child’s myopia progression.
Sources:
Jones, et al, IOVS 2007
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, May 2016 Volume 123, Issue 5, Pages 1036–1042.
https://mymyopia.com/infographic-understanding-your-childs-myopia