In focus: Profession faces up to the threat of ‘myopia epidemic'

Any doubts about a potential myopia boom faded into the distance this week on the back of two major studies in the UK and US.

The findings have led to renewed calls for parents and teachers to limit children’s screen time, encourage outdoor play and book regular eye exams.

Meanwhile, a flood of innovation to help slow the progression of myopia has given practitioners the tools to deal with a potential surge in young patients. This was particularly true for orthokeratology lenses, experts stressed this week.

Myopia studies carried out in Northern Ireland and California each indicated twice as many children with myopia in local markets, compared with the 1960s. The Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (Nicer) study, jointly funded by the College of Optometrists and Ulster University, also found children were becoming myopic at a younger age.