MiSight Contact Lenses For Myopia Management
FDA-approved CooperVision's MiSight 1 Day Contact Lenses are daily wear, single-use contacts that have been shown to slow the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children aged 8 to 12 years old at the start of treatment. Slowing the progression of myopia in children may reduce their risk of developing severe eye diseases such as macular degeneration, retinal detachment and glaucoma later in life.
Myopia Management In a Nutshell
Myopia, which occurs in school-aged children, is not a static condition; by the time you bring your child to their next eye exam, their level of nearsightedness likely will have increased. It typically stabilizes by the age of 20.
According to respected international associations, such as the American Optometry Association, 34% of children ages 12-17 are myopic. All the more worrying is that, by 2050, myopia is expected to affect at least 5 billion people globally. In some areas of Asia, the rates are already surpassing 80-90% by the time teens attend university.
This is due in part to changing lifestyles, with children spending less time outdoors and more time focusing on close objects like digital screens. The long-term risks associated with myopia progression pose a serious public health challenge, and the World Health Organization and other international health bodies and NGOs have already added myopia to the agenda of serious concerns.
The goal in myopia management is to reduce abnormal eye growth and elongation. Once a child is diagnosed with myopia, eye doctors typically prescribe eyeglasses or standard contact lenses. While these help the child see better, they cannot slow myopia’s progression. By using the most advanced myopia management methods — like MiSight contact lenses — Dr. Gustafson can help your child slow the progression of myopia and limit the risks of vision-robbing eye diseases later in life.
What are MiSight Contact Lenses?
MiSight contact lenses are daily disposable soft contact lenses designed to slow myopia progression in children.
In this unique design, the central part of the MiSight contact lens corrects the refractive error, much like a traditional corrective lens. But the peripheral part of the lens has uniquely designed concentric rings that direct light to focus on the retina. This has been shown to significantly reduce the stimuli causing the eye to grow longer.
Safety and Effectiveness of MiSight Contact Lenses
The safety and effectiveness of MiSight were studied in a 3-year clinical trial of 135 children aged 8 to 12 who were prescribed either MiSight or traditional soft contact lenses. Over the 3-year period, myopia progressed at a much slower rate — by 59% to be exact — in the children who wore MiSight contact lenses compared to the children who wore conventional soft contacts.
These results indicate that MiSight could be an excellent option for slowing myopia progression in your child.
Speak with Dr. Gustafson to learn more about MiSight contact lenses and to find out how they can help your child effectively limit myopia progression.