Bifocals may correct nearsightedness among kids
January 12th, 2010 - 4:00 pm ICT by IANSToronto, Jan 12 (IANS) Bifocal glasses may be effective in slowing the onset of myopia or nearsightedness among children, according to a new study.
Myopia is common among children, with prevalence as high as 50-60 percent by the age of 12 years in East Asian countries, the report says.
Prevalence is also high among Asian children living in Western countries. Bifocals — glasses with two different corrective powers — and multifocals have been tested as remedy for myopia in kids with relatively ineffective results.
Desmond Cheng and his colleagues of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial among 135 Chinese Canadian children of average age 10.3 years.
Children were assigned to one of three treatment groups: 41 wore single-vision lenses, 48 wore bifocals and 46 wore bifocals with prism, which helps the eyes work together, said an HKPU release.
Of the 135 children, 131 completed the 24-month study. Progression of myopia was most rapid among those who wore single-focus lenses, slower among those who wore bifocals and slowest among those who wore prismatic bifocals.
The findings appeared in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, a JAMA & Archives journals.
- Bifocals 'slow nearsightedness progression in kids' - Jan 12, 2010
- Acupuncture may help treat lazy eye - Dec 14, 2010
- Remain outdoors to reduce nearsightedness - Oct 25, 2011
- New contact lenses may reduce progress of nearsightedness - May 06, 2010
- Wearing multifocal contact lenses may reduce vision for driving at night - Nov 04, 2010
- Obese women may be less likely to develop chronic eye disease - Feb 15, 2011
- Single-lens distance glasses can cut falls in active older adults - May 26, 2010
- Worn during sleep, special contact lens can correct myopia - May 04, 2011
- Now, contact lenses to sharpen aging eyes - Jul 29, 2009
- Nazi 3D 'dancing girls and sausages' films are of 'excellent quality' - Feb 16, 2011
- World's first electronic specs to make tedious bifocals history! - Apr 26, 2011
- Contacts better than implanted lenses for babies with cataracts - May 11, 2010
- 60 percent of Shanghai students nearsighted - Jun 03, 2011
- Lens implantation may treat some patients with nearsightedness - Jul 14, 2009
- Gene discovery could pave way for nearsightedness treatments - Sep 13, 2010
Tags: asian children, bifocal glasses, bifocals glasses, clinical trial, desmond, east asian countries, focus lenses, hong kong polytechnic, hong kong polytechnic university, jama, kong polytechnic university, myopia, prevalence, prism, prismatic, single focus, single vision, treatment groups, vision lenses, western countries