A PARENT’S GUIDE TO MYOPIA AND THE MYOPIA-CARE

Dear Parents,

At Sparks & Feros Optometrists, we understand that your child’s ability to learn, socialise and feel confident in carrying out their day-to-day activities depends on them having clear and stable vision.

Optimal eyesight helps them to succeed at school while enjoying the activities they love most.

Would you like the peace of mind knowing that you are doing everything possible to protect your child’s vision both now and into the future?

Our Myopia Care Service offers you and your family just that! Our optometrists are here to provide expert advice with the right therapeutic technology and practical support to help stop or slow down the progression of your child’s myopia.

The following will hopefully provide you with some useful information to help you make an informed choice on what might best suit your child’s vision needs.

We look forward to guiding you on this journey. Together, we can aim to help your child see more clearly and protect their long-term eye health.

What is Myopia?

Myopia, or short-sightedness, means your child can see close-up objects clearly, but things in the distance look blurry. It happens when the eye grows too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

Myopia is one of the most common vision problems in children today — and it’s becoming more widespread worldwide. Studies show that children are starting to develop myopia earlier and if untreated can progress rapidly.

The good news is that we can now manage myopia more effectively than ever before, with proven treatments that can stop or slow Myopia progression and protect your child’s vision.

Why does Treating Myopia matter?

While standard glasses or contact lenses can correct blurry vision, they cannot stop the underlying “myopic eye growth” and each year of increased eye growth results in the need for even more powerful glasses.

How common is it?

In some countries, more than half of teenagers are now myopic, and experts predict that by 2050, nearly half of the world’s population could be affected. In Australia, we are already seeing a steady rise, especially in children who spend less time outdoors and more time on screens or close work.

What can parents do?

The first step is early detection. Eye exams allow us to catch the signs of myopia before it becomes more serious.

The next step is management, using our tailored treatments and lifestyle recommendations to keep your child’s vision clear and reduce long-term risks.

It is important to note that individuals with very high-power glasses run a much higher risk of developing eye diseases later on in life!

Why is Early Action Crucial?

Act early and give your child clearer sight, stronger confidence, and long-term eye health.

Why it matters:
• Myopia (short-sightedness) often begins between ages 6 and 12.
• Left untreated, it can progress quickly – affecting learning, sport, and confidence
• Early action helps slow eye growth and reduce long-term risks.

Benefits of starting early:
• Better school performance
• Higher self-esteem
• Lower risk of future eye diseases
• More treatment options available while prescriptions are still low

Small Steps, Big Impact

When it comes to managing myopia, early action leads to better long-term outcomes. Treatments tend to work best when started before childrens eyes grow beyond a certain level or the rate of progression becomes too rapid. Another benefit of early intervention is that we can employ a greater variety of therapies to optimise each individual treatment.

Initial therapies might be a simple as recommending spending more time outdoors, reducing screen time, or having regular breaks during close work. These may seem like small steps, but when introduced early, they can make a measurable difference to how your child’s vision develops over time. Regular check-ups with our team allow us to tailor a treatment plan that grows with your child. With expert monitoring and personalised care, we can confidently guide their eye health through the most critical years of growth - laying the foundation for clearer vision and greater confidence well into their teenage years and beyond.

How We Monitor Myopia

We have Advanced technology to protect your child’s vision.

At Sparks & Feros, we closely monitor your child’s eye growth using the most advanced diagnostic tools available. One of the most important measures in myopia control therapy is axial length — that’s the distance from the front of the eye to the back.

All eyes are meant to grow axially - as your child’s body grows so do their eyes. However, if the rate of eye growth becomes too fast their ability to see into the distance can be reduced. Once the eye has stretched, it can’t shrink back, so our goal is to keep this eye growth within safe, healthy limits.

Gold Standard Technology: The Lens Star

We use the Lens Star, a fast, painless, and completely non-contact device, to measure your child’s eye length with
exceptional precision. It’s the gold standard in monitoring myopia progression.

Whole-Eye Health Monitoring

To get a full picture of your child’s visual health, we also use:

• Optos ultra-widefield scans to examine the retina
• Corneal topography to assess the front surface of the eye
This comprehensive approach helps us catch any early changes and gives you peace of mind

Proven Treatments Available at Sparks & Feros 

1. Spectacles or Glasses for Myopia Management

Families today have access to a variety of safe and effective therapies for managing myopia in children. One of the most popular and convenient options is the use of special spectacle lenses. We will often recommend spectacle lenses from renowned optical firms such as Essilor’s Stellest, Hoya Lens MiYosmart, and Zeiss Myocare. These lenses have been rigorously tested in international studies, demonstrating the ability to slow the progression of myopia by as much as 60–67%.

These high-tech lenses are designed to look just like standard glasses. Their unique and intricate optical design not only corrects vision but also helps control the eye’s growth, which is a key factor in managing myopia. Children need to wear these glasses throughout the day. These myopia-control spectacles provide a non-intrusive and highly effective solution for slowing down the progression of myopia.

2. Contact Lenses

For children who prefer contact lenses, there are two proven options for correcting vision and managing myopia soft multifocal lenses and orthokeratology (ortho-k) night lenses

1. Soft multifocal lenses are worn during the day and feature a special design that keeps central vision sharp while subtly shifting how light focuses on the edges of the retina.

2. Ortho-k lenses, are worn overnight while your child sleeps, gently reshaping the surface of the eye so they wake up with clear vision and have no need for glasses or contact lenses during the day.

Children as young as 7 or 8 years old can often adapt well to contact lenses with the right guidance and supervision. Establishing a consistent daily routine—such as putting lenses in after breakfast and removing them before bed for soft multifocal lenses, or inserting ortho-k lenses at bedtime and removing them each morning—helps children adjust smoothly.

Both soft multifocal and ortho-k lenses are widely used and very effective when fitted and monitored properly. These options give children the freedom to enjoy a clear view of the world while also helping to slow the progression of myopia.

3. Atropine eye drops

Low-dose atropine eye drops is another treatment option strongly supported by research. These drops used once daily (usually at night), help slow the eye’s growth rate while having minimal side effects. Atropine therapy can be especially helpful for younger children or those whose myopia is progressing quickly. In many cases, it is combined with glasses or contact lenses for even greater effect.

We will help you select the best option for your child

Choosing the right option depends on your child’s age, lifestyle, and preferences. Some children may benefit most from glasses, while others are better suited to contact lenses or a combination of treatments. At Sparks & Feros, we take the time to explain each option and tailor a plan that works best for your child and your family.

The most important step is starting early. The sooner treatment begins, the more effectively we can control progression and reduce the risk of them winding up with higher prescriptions later in life. With the right approach, your child can enjoy clear vision today and into the future.