Nearsightedness in Your Child
Slow The Rate of
Myopia Management for Children
More children are becoming nearsighted, and it tends to worsen throughout the school years. Myopia management at Hamilton Vision Center slows that progression, so your child needs weaker prescriptions over time and faces a lower risk of serious eye problems as an adult.
The Importance of Managing Myopia Progression
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is one of the most common vision conditions in children, and it is becoming more widespread. In the 1970s, about 25% of Americans were nearsighted. Today that number is closer to 42%, and global rates are rising even faster.
A child who reaches adulthood with mild myopia faces a very different future from one who reaches high myopia (above -6.00 D). High myopia raises the lifelong risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Standard glasses and contacts correct blurry vision but do not slow how fast the eye is growing. Myopia management is designed to do exactly that, keeping your child's prescription as low as possible and reducing those risks over a lifetime.
What It Means to Be Nearsighted
When a child is nearsighted, the eyeball is slightly too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. Distant objects look blurry, but near objects are clear. In most children, myopia begins between the ages of 6 and 12 and tends to get worse year by year through the teenage years.
Glasses and standard contact lenses correct the blur, but they don't address the underlying growth of the eye. Myopia management is different: it uses clinically proven treatments to slow how quickly the eye elongates. The earlier treatment begins, the greater the potential impact, because there are more years of growth ahead to influence.
Signs Your Child May Have Myopia
Children don't always know what "normal" vision looks like. That's why so many kids go undiagnosed for years. Watch for these common warning signs, and don't wait for your child to complain before scheduling an exam.
Behavioral Signs
- Squinting at the board, TV, or distant objects
- Sitting very close to the TV or holding devices close to the face
- Frequent headaches or eye rubbing, especially after school
- Complaining that the board or signs are blurry
- Losing interest in sports or outdoor play
- Tilting the head to one side to see better
Myopia Risk Factors to Know
- One or both parents are nearsighted
- Significant time on screens or close-up tasks
- Limited time spent outdoors (research links outdoor time to a slower onset)
- Rapid changes in prescriptions from one year to the next
- Certain ethnic backgrounds, which can carry a higher genetic risk
Myopia Management Options at Hamilton Vision Center
MiSight® is a daily disposable soft contact lens clinically proven to slow myopia progression. They use a dual-focus design; central zones correct distance vision, while peripheral zones are engineered to reduce the signal that drives eye elongation. Studies show MiSight® can slow progression by roughly 59% in qualifying patients. Because they're daily disposables, there's no cleaning routine, which makes them one of the easiest options for kids to manage. They're FDA-approved specifically for myopia control, and many children as young as 8 adapt quickly.
Stellest® is a newer generation of myopia-control spectacle lenses that Hamilton Vision Center carries, something many practices in the area do not offer. They use H.A.L.T. (Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target) technology: a constellation of tiny lenslets across the lens that create a light signal slowing eye growth, while the central zone gives full, clear vision. In clinical trials, Stellest® reduced myopia progression by 67% on average compared to standard single-vision lenses when worn at least 12 hours a day. Because they look and function like ordinary glasses, compliance is generally very high, and they're a great fit for children not yet ready for contact lenses.
Ortho-k lenses are rigid gas-permeable lenses worn only overnight. While your child sleeps, the lenses gently reshape the cornea so that by morning, vision is clear for the full day without any glasses or contacts. The effect is temporary and reverses if lens wear stops, making the treatment fully reversible. Beyond convenience, ortho-k has a strong evidence base for slowing axial elongation, the underlying mechanism of myopia. It's a popular choice for active children and young athletes who prefer not to wear correction during the day.
Low-dose atropine (typically 0.01% to 0.05%) is a once-nightly eye drop that slows myopia progression without significantly affecting near vision or causing light sensitivity at the concentrations used in clinical practice. It's often prescribed alongside other treatments; for example, pairing atropine with ortho-k or MiSight® can produce stronger results than either alone in faster progressors. It's a particularly useful option when a child is too young or not ready to wear contact lenses. Treatment is monitored closely, and the concentration may be adjusted based on how the prescription changes over time.
Matching a Myopia Treatment Plan to Your Child
There is no single best treatment for every child; the right plan depends on age, prescription strength, how fast myopia is progressing, lifestyle, and your family's preferences. Our eye doctors take time to understand all of these factors before making a recommendation, and we explain the reasoning behind each option so you can make a confident, informed decision together.
Beyond the initial choice, myopia management is an ongoing process. We schedule follow-up visits to measure your child's prescription and axial eye length. Those measurements tell us whether the treatment is working as expected or whether we need to adjust the approach. If progression accelerates, we may increase the atropine concentration, combine treatments, or switch methods entirely.
Book a Myopia Evaluation in Centennial
If your child's prescription keeps climbing, an evaluation is the first step. We serve families across the South Denver metro.
Planning your visit? Start with an eye exam, and see our hours and location for directions and hours.