Myopia (nearsightedness) in children

A child is more likely to become nearsighted if:

• One or both parents are nearsighted. The risk is higher when both are.
• They spend little time outdoors
• They spend long periods on close-up tasks, like reading, homework or screens
• Their eye doctor finds early signs, such as less farsightedness than expected for their age

A school vision screening can miss myopia and other problems, so children need comprehensive eye exams. Your eye doctor will check how well your child sees far away and up close, and measure your child’s prescription. They often use eye drops that relax your child’s focusing, so the true prescription can be measured. They will also check the health of the eyes. Some eye doctors measure the length of the eye to track how fast myopia is changing over time.

Glasses or contact lenses correct blurry vision so your child can see clearly. Wearing a full, up-to-date prescription is important. Weaker glasses do not slow myopia down.

There are also treatments that can slow down how fast myopia gets worse in children. These include:

• Special glasses lenses designed to slow myopia
• Special soft contact lenses worn during the day
• Rigid lenses worn overnight that gently reshape the front of the eye, so your child can see during the day without lenses
• Low-dose atropine eye drops, used once a day at bedtime

These treatments don’t cure myopia, and your child will still need glasses or lenses to see clearly. Starting early, while myopia is still changing, gives the most benefit. Not every option is right for every child. Your eye doctor will talk with you about the choices, how each one works, the care each one needs, and how often your child should be checked.

• Time outdoors helps. Daily outdoor play in daylight can help delay myopia from starting.
• Build in breaks from close work. Every so often, have your child look at something far away.
• Keep books and screens at a comfortable distance, not too close to the face.
• Make sure your child wears their glasses or lenses as prescribed.
• Keep up with regular eye exams, at least once a year for school-age children. Children on myopia treatment are often checked more often.
• If your child wears contact lenses, teach good lens care habits and check that they follow them.
• As your child grows up, remind them that strong myopia means regular eye exams for life.