What is Myopia in Children?

Whether or not your child complains of not being able to see objects at a distance—such as the board at the front of their classroom— they might have a condition called myopia. It’s more commonly known, though, as nearsightedness.

The eyes of a child with myopia become longer over time, which causes distant objects to appear blurry. And, if it’s not addressed, myopia often worsens as your child gets older.

Understanding Myopia

It’s not a word that most people use every day, but myopia is becoming an increasingly more common condition. Myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, is the inability to see objects clearly at a distance.

When it comes to the prevalence of myopia, the statistics are staggering. In the U.S. alone, more than 40 percent of Americans have myopia and that number is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged children. Cooper Vision is helping to slow the upward trend in severity through its Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program featuring MiSight day contact lenses, the first and only FDA-approved contact lens to slow myopia progression of myopia in children (aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment). A recent clinical study reveals that MiSight© day reduced the rate of myopia progression in that age group on average by 59% over a three-year period.

What happens in the eye?

Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, happens when your child’s distance vision begins to blur because their eyeball is becoming longer as they grow.