In Asia, nearly half of school-going children have myopia and/or astigmatism which requires them to wear glasses or contact lenses.  Unfortunately, it appears that the child’s refraction prescription keeps increasing every year and only stabilises around the age of 17-18 years.  High myopia can be associated with higher risk of myopic macula degeneration, glaucoma and retina detachment later on in life.  The incidence of myopia is higher with the following risk factors;

• Family history of myopia (genetic)
• Spending a long periods of time with near-work activities such as reading or digital devices such as computers and mobile phones
• Not doing much outdoor activities like sports or playing in large open spaces

Click to view AOA video on Myopia

MiyoSmart for Myopia Control

Research has shown that myopia progression can be controlled by providing clear vision and constant myopic defocus simultaneously.***

Click to view Hoya video on MiyoSmart with DIMS Technology

How MiyoSmart Lenses work

MiyoSmart with D.I.M.S. technology is comprised of a central optical zone for correcting refractive error and multiple defocus segments evenly surrounding the central zone (extending to the mid-periphery) of the lens to control myopia progression.  This provides clear vision and myopic defocus simultaneously at all viewing distances.  The lens makes use of the natural homeostatic mechanism known as “emmetropisation”, whereby the eyeball adapts and shapes to receive focused images as it does for normal vision.

Safety Features of MiyoSmart Lenses

As children are active, there is a need for the lens material to be impact-resistant to offer their eyes the protection they need.  MiyoSmart uses polycarbonate 1.59 which is a highly impact resistant material that has passed the high velocity impact drop ball test to provide;

• Impact-resistant material safe for active kids
• UV protection from the sun
• Comfort because it is light and thin

Adopt Healthy Vision Habits

Even while wearing spectacles, children are advised to adopt healthy vision habits such as;

• Spending more time outdoors (around 2 hours a day)
• Taking breaks from long intensive screen time or near-work
• Take care of ergonomics while doing near work such as using proper lighting, posture, keeping the recommended working distance

References

*Myopia in Singapore: taking a public health approach.  Benjamin Seeta, Tien Yin Wong, Donald T H Tan, Seang Mei Saw, Vivian Balakrishnan, Lionel K H Lee, Arthur S M Lim. BMJ 2001; vol 85, no. 5

**Holden B.A., Fricke T.R., Wilson D.A., Jong M., Naidoo K.S., Sankaridurg P., Wong T.Y., Naduvilath T.J., Resniko_ S. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. American Academy of Ophthalmology. 05/2016, vol.123, no. 5, p.1036–1042

***Lam CSY, Tang WC, Tse DY, Lee RPK, Chun RKM, Hasegawa K, Qi H, Hatanaka T, To CH. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomised clinical trial. British Journal of Ophthalmology. Published Online First: 29 May 2019

Do get a consultation with your eye doctor, orthoptist, optometrist or optician to assess your child’s vision

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