If your child is nearsighted, getting them a pair of glasses may seem like the obvious solution. Glasses can help them see the whiteboard at school, recognize faces across the room and enjoy activities more comfortably. But glasses generally address how clearly your child sees today. They do not necessarily address another important concern: how nearsighted your child may become as they continue to grow.
That is where myopia management comes in. At Atkinson Eye Care in Algonquin, Illinois, one option available for children with myopia is MiSight® 1 day, a daily disposable soft contact lens specifically designed to correct nearsightedness while helping slow its progression.
For parents who may never have heard of myopia management contact lenses, understanding how MiSight works and whether their child may be a good candidate is an important first step.
What Is Childhood Myopia?
Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, causes objects in the distance to appear blurry while closer objects remain clearer. It frequently develops during childhood and can continue progressing as a child’s eyes grow. That progression matters. A child’s prescription may begin relatively mild and become progressively stronger throughout the school years. Higher levels of myopia are also associated with increased lifetime risks of eye conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and myopic maculopathy.
This is why modern myopia care can involve more than simply updating a child’s glasses each time their prescription changes. Myopia management focuses on slowing the progression of nearsightedness while a child’s eyes are still developing.
What Are MiSight® 1 Day Contact Lenses?
MiSight 1 day lenses are soft, single use contact lenses developed specifically for children with myopia. Your child puts in a fresh pair in the morning, wears them throughout the day and throws them away at night. The lenses accomplish two things simultaneously. First, they correct nearsightedness so your child can see clearly. Second, their specialized optical design helps slow the progression of myopia. That makes MiSight different from an ordinary contact lens that is prescribed primarily to correct blurry vision.
MiSight 1 day is also the first soft contact lens approved by the FDA to slow the progression of myopia in children, initially prescribed for children ages 8 to 12. The FDA indication applies to children within specific prescription parameters, which is one reason an eye examination and professional evaluation are important before deciding whether MiSight is appropriate.
How Does MiSight Help Slow Myopia?
Traditional glasses and contact lenses focus light so a person with myopia can see clearly. MiSight lenses use a special design that provides clear vision while simultaneously creating a treatment effect intended to help reduce the stimulus associated with continued eye growth. The goal is not to eliminate your child’s existing myopia. Instead, treatment attempts to slow how quickly the myopia progresses.
This distinction is important for parents. A child may still experience changes in their prescription while using myopia management. Success does not necessarily mean the prescription never changes again. The objective is to reduce progression compared with what might otherwise have occurred.
Why Consider Myopia Management Instead of Regular Contacts?
For a child who wants contact lenses, parents may wonder why they should choose a specialized myopia management lens rather than a traditional soft contact lens. The difference comes down to the long term goal. A standard contact lens can correct your child’s current prescription. MiSight provides vision correction while also addressing myopia progression. For a child whose nearsightedness is increasing, that second purpose can be particularly valuable.
There is also a long term eye health reason to consider myopia management. Every increase in myopia matters. Keeping a child’s eventual level of myopia as low as reasonably possible may help reduce some of the eye health risks associated with becoming highly myopic later in life.
Is My Child Old Enough for Contact Lenses?
This is one of the first questions many parents ask, especially when discussing contact lenses for an 8, 9 or 10 year old. Age is only one part of the decision. Your eye doctor will also consider your child’s maturity, hygiene habits and willingness to learn how to properly insert and remove their lenses.
Some children are surprisingly capable contact lens wearers when they receive proper instruction and supervision. Daily disposable lenses can also simplify the routine because there is no lens cleaning or storage required. Your child starts each day with a fresh pair and disposes of them after wearing. Atkinson Eye Care can help determine whether your child is ready and teach both you and your child how to handle the lenses safely.
How Do I Know if MiSight Is Right for My Child?
There is no single myopia management option that is best for every child. Your child’s eye doctor will look at their individual situation before recommending treatment.
Important considerations can include your child’s age and current prescription, how quickly their myopia has been progressing, their eye health and whether they are comfortable wearing contact lenses. Family history may also be relevant because children with nearsighted parents have an increased likelihood of developing myopia themselves.
Lifestyle matters too. For some children, wearing a soft contact lens during the day fits easily into their normal routine. Another child or family may prefer a different approach. That is why myopia management should be individualized rather than choosing a treatment simply because it worked well for another child.
What Other Myopia Management Options Are Available?
MiSight is one of several approaches available through Atkinson Eye Care. Depending on your child’s needs, your eye doctor may discuss options such as low dose atropine therapy or Ortho K lenses in addition to MiSight.
Low dose atropine uses prescription eye drops to help slow myopia progression. Ortho K takes a different approach using specially designed contact lenses worn overnight. These temporarily reshape the cornea while your child sleeps, providing clear vision during the day without daytime glasses or contact lenses while also helping manage myopia progression.
Each option has practical considerations for the child and family. Rather than beginning with a particular product, the goal is to determine which approach makes the most sense for your child’s eyes and everyday life.
What Should Parents Expect After Starting MiSight?
Myopia management is an ongoing process. Your child’s vision and eye health need to be monitored as they grow.
Regular follow up appointments allow your eye doctor to evaluate your child’s vision, prescription and response to treatment. Your doctor can then determine whether the current approach continues to make sense or whether adjustments should be considered.
Parents should also encourage good contact lens habits at home. Children should follow their eye doctor’s instructions for inserting and removing lenses, wash and dry their hands before handling contacts and never reuse a daily disposable lens.
Give Your Child Clear Vision Today and Help Protect Tomorrow
When a child’s prescription continues getting stronger, simply replacing their glasses year after year does not address the progression itself. Myopia management gives families an opportunity to take a more proactive approach.
MiSight 1 day contact lenses can provide children with clear everyday vision while helping slow the progression of their nearsightedness. For the right child, they can be a convenient way to combine vision correction with long term myopia management in a single daily lens.
If your child has been diagnosed with myopia or seems to need a stronger prescription every year, schedule an evaluation with Atkinson Eye Care in Algonquin. Your eye doctor can evaluate your child’s prescription and progression, discuss MiSight alongside other available treatments and help you determine which myopia management approach may be right for your family.
Learn More About Myopia Management at Atkinson Eye Care
Atkinson Eye Care
2100 N. Huntington Drive, Unit A
Algonquin, Illinois 60102
847 854 5700