TORONTO – A type of lens treatment has helped slow the progression of nearsightedness in children, especially during a pandemic outbreak, a new study published Friday shows.
Research published in JAMA Open Network shows that optical defocusing treatment slows the progression of nearsightedness by up to 46 percent, compared with conventional monofocal lens treatments.
The Hong Kong study compared data from 171 schoolchildren aged 7 to 13, with 151 participants wearing multi-segment dimming glasses (DIMS) for their nearsightedness, and 56 participants wearing lenses monocular glasses.
“During the COVID-19 lockdown, myopia progression was significantly faster with increased exposure to muscle relaxants, compared with pre-pandemic conditions. Additionally, optical treatment with lenses DIMS was significantly associated with slower myopia progression, despite the negative association between COVID-19 lockdown and myopia progression,” the study said.
Previous studies have shown an increase in myopia among children during COVID-19, possibly due to more screen time and less time outdoors due to lockdowns and virtual classrooms.
.
