Forget your grandparents - bifocals are now for the kids

The publication of the January edition of Archives of Ophthalmology sees the discussion of a recent research assignment conducted by Dr. Desmond Cheng and colleagues who have found that children, who are developing myopia (nearsightedness) at an exceedingly fast rate, could now benefit from wearing bifocals. The bifocals are then thought to help slow down the myopia’s progression and benefit the child’s eyesight in the long run.

The study involved an investigation into 135 Chinese Canadian children’s eyesight over a period of two years (4 children of whom didn’t finish the study). The children were tested for myopia and its rate of progression was monitored over the two years. From the test study it was found that the progression of myopia was of a lower rapidity in the children who wore the bifocals. Scientists declared that within the study group those children who were thought to be of a qualifying level of rapidly developing myopia was around 54%, showing the sheer amount of children who would benefit from bifocal treatments. They also commented that myopia itself doesn’t vary with different ethnic groups and due to that the treatment using bifocals would probably not vary either.

With myopia being a prevailing problem worldwide, particularly in East Asia where over 50% of children are thought to suffer from it, these results could help reduce the amount of children whose eyesight deteriorates vastly due to the rapid development of myopia. The scientists conclude in this study that if the continual monitoring of the children being treated with bifocals continues to show positive results then the treatment could begin to be issued worldwide. Additionally, these results perhaps shouldn’t just point towards a dire need for some kind of treatment for myopia in children but the vast effect growing technology is having on their eyes. The increased use of televisions, computer games and the decreased use of their eyes long-distance shows the vast effect it is having on their eyes in the long run.

23rd January 2010

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