A study on nearly 2,000 children found that 28 per cent of seven-year olds, 50 per cent of 10-year-olds, 62 per cent of 12-year-olds and 73 per cent of 15-year olds are myopic. The study is part of the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia (SCORM) that is led by Professor Saw Seang Mei, who also heads the myopia unit at the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI).
Being short-sighted at such a young age does not only mean more years living with the inconvenience of wearing glasses. For young children below the age of 11, being myopic can spell another issue.
“Developing myopia early in life can set the child up for higher eye degrees and a greater risk of eye problems later in life,” said Prof Saw.
According to another study that is also part of SCORM and led by Prof Saw, three- to six-year-old children with myopia were found to have more than 500 degrees by the time they turned 11. In contrast, those who only developed myopia at 10 years old had about 150 degrees on average when they turned 11.
Read on to find out what treatments are available to manage and slow the progression of myopia in children:
- Myopia in kids: Contact lenses for children as young as eight are now available, CNA Lifestyle, 22 November 2018
- 儿童适合戴 隐形眼镜吗？, Lianhe Zaobao, 25 December 2018