The Optometric Management of Childhood Myopia

The optometric management of myopia has traditionally involved prescribing concave spectacle lenses or contact lenses to mitigate the blurred distance vision caused by ‘short sight’. However, these traditional optical corrections do not actively address or retard the progressive element of myopia which has been identified as a long-term ocular health concern. Given the increasing prevalence of myopia across the world, including in the UK, researchers have been concentrating on addressing this public health concern by exploring methods to prevent myopia onset and to slow myopia progression. Myopia management strategies aim to reduce myopia onset and progression, minimising the long-term risk of developing myopia-associated ocular pathology, instead of merely correcting myopic defocus. The present article discusses risk factors for myopia development, methods for predicting myopia progression and reviews the available optometric myopia management options for practitioners in the UK following recent publications of global and national guidance. Present-day research is discussed along with possible future interventions for myopia management in the UK.