Myopia (short-sightedness) usually starts during the school years and tends to increase while the eye is still growing, often until the late teens. Keeping the final prescription lower is worthwhile, because higher levels of myopia are linked to a greater chance of some eye conditions later in life.
Besides making distance vision clear, some options are designed to slow this change. They include specially designed spectacle lenses, specially designed contact lenses and, for some children, eye drops prescribed after an assessment. We will explain which options suit your child's age, prescription and lifestyle.
Everyday habits help too. Aim for about two hours outdoors every day, take short breaks from reading and screens to look into the distance, hold books and devices at a comfortable distance and keep screen time reasonable.
Because a growing eye changes, we check children with myopia every six to twelve months. Our article on myopia explains the condition itself.