Myopia rates in children have been increasing worldwide for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting periods of sheltering at home directives may have worsened the myopia epidemic as more children have spent extended amounts of time on digital screens for remote schooling. A recent study in China demonstrated that children who were in lockdown for six months became more myopic than their counterparts from previous years.
With the introduction of MiSight® 1 day contact lenses in the US, children aged 8-12 at the initiation of treatment have access to the first FDA approved* contact lenses to slow the progression of myopia. In a pivotal six-year study, MiSight® 1 day contact lenses were shown to be effective at slowing the progression of myopia in age-appropriate children. The myopic lengthening of the eye was slowed by 52% on average over three years when compared to a virtual control group.2 The virtual control group was modelled based on the initial three year data which had a control group wearing single vision soft contact lenses. Those participants in the control group for the first three years were all switched to wearing MiSight® 1 day lenses for the latter half of the six year study. Results show that while using MiSight® 1 day at an early age (8-12 years of age) is optimal for myopia management,3 older children (11-15 years of age) with greater myopia at the start of their treatment have also been shown to benefit from wearing the lenses.4 By modelling the control group, the treatment effect can be predicted for a period of 10 years. The model estimates an accumulated >2.00D of myopia control treatment effect over 10 years between ages 8 to 18.5
Across the six-years of the clinical study, there have been no contact lens related serious adverse events. Results suggest that children starting at ages 8-12 can successfully wear daily disposable hydrogel contact lenses with minimal impact on eye health.
MiSight® 1 day contact lenses have been combined with a comprehensive suite of support tools for children, parents, and their eye care professionals to help children improve their lives and see brilliant futures. The Brilliant Futures™ Myopia Management Program now has over 2000 US eye care professionals certified and able to prescribe MiSight® 1 day to age-appropriate children.
The Brilliant Futures™ program provides support to children and their parents throughout their myopia journey. The online myopia simulator tool and axial length estimator helps them to better understand myopia and myopia management, and provides their eye care professionals with more information to help assess the child’s myopia when initiating treatment. The MiSight® App provides children and parents with access to myopia education resources, appointment reminders, and lens ordering and payment support. Eye care professionals are further supported with access to the MiSightPro™ resource portal and ongoing education. **
The remarkable outcomes from the six-year MiSight® 1 day study and the comprehensive suite of tools in the Brilliant Futures™ program provides children and their parents with the support and the confidence they need to help combat the growing myopia epidemic.
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* Indications for use: MiSight® 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
** Only available in certain countries.
1 Wang J, Li Y, Musch DC, et al. Progression of Myopia in School-Aged Children After COVID-19 Home Confinement. JAMA Ophthalmol 2021;139:293-300.
2 Chamberlain P HD, Arumugam B, Bullimore M. Measured and Predicted Axial Elongation in the MiSight 1 day Clinical Trial: 6-year results. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology poster presentation 2021.
3 Baskar A CP, Bradley A, Hunt C, Young G. The Effects of Age on Myopia Progression with DualFocus and Single Vision Daily Disposable Contact Lenses. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting 2020;https://www.aaopt.org/detail/knowledge-base-article/the-effects-of-age-on-myopia-progression-with-dualfocus-and-single-vision-daily-disposable-contact-lenses.
4 Chamberlain P LN, Jones D, Gonzalez-Meijome J, Saw S-M, Young G. Myopia Progression in Children wearing Dual-Focus Contact Lenses: 6-year findings. American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting 2020;https://www.aaopt.org/detail/knowledge-base-article/myopia-progression-in-children-wearing-dual-focus-contact-lenses-6-year-findings.
5 Baskar A BA, Hammond D, Chamberlain P. Modelling Age Effects of Myopia Progression for the MiSight 1 day Clinical Trial. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology poster presentation 2021.
6 Woods J, Jones D, Jones L, et al. Ocular health of children wearing daily disposable contact lenses over a 6-year period. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 2021;101391.
