What Should I Expect at My Child's First Visit for a Myopia Control Consultation?

As a parent, you want the best for your child’s vision and eye health, especially when faced with myopia (nearsightedness). With myopia on the rise among children, taking steps to manage and slow its progression has never been more important. A myopia control consultation is an ideal first step, offering you and your child a personalized approach to understanding and managing their nearsightedness. Here’s what to expect during your child’s first visit for a myopia control consultation.

1. A Warm Welcome and Patient History

To kick things off, we’ll review your child’s eye health history and lifestyle. This includes their usual screen time, time spent outdoors, and any previous vision corrections or prescriptions. These details help us understand what might be contributing to their myopia and set the foundation for a personalized treatment plan.

2. Comprehensive Myopia Control Exam

Next, we’ll perform a comprehensive myopia control examination to determine your child’s current prescription and assess the degree of myopia. This includes evaluating their vision at various distances and examining the health of the front of the eye to ensure suitability for contact lenses. Our specialized myopia control assessment also considers factors such as eye strain and dryness, which are often seen in children with significant screen time or frequent reading.

3. Axial Length Measurement

At Innovative EyeCare, we take an additional measurement called the axial length, which measures the length of your child’s eye from front to back. Why is this important? An increase in axial length is associated with myopia progression, so tracking this measurement helps us determine how quickly your child’s eye is growing. Monitoring axial length also lets us see how well the myopia control treatment is working, giving us a more precise way to track progress over time.

4. Discussing Myopia Control Options

With a full picture of your child’s eye health, we’ll go over the different myopia control options available:

• Orthokeratology (Ortho-k): These are overnight lenses that reshape the cornea while your child sleeps, so they don’t need to wear lenses during the day. Ortho-k lenses are ideal for active kids who prefer not to wear glasses or contacts throughout the day.

• Daily Disposable Myopia Contact Lenses (MiSight): These daily disposable lenses are specifically designed for myopia control in children, offering clear vision along with a secondary optics to help slow myopia progression. They’re convenient and hygienic, with a fresh pair each day.

• Multifocal Contact Lenses (Biofinity Toric Multifocal): These monthly lenses provide both vision correction and myopia control, especially beneficial for children with higher levels of astigmatism that cannot be corrected with orthokeratology or daily disposable MiSight contact lenses. They can be worn throughout the day, making them versatile for different lifestyles.

• Low-dose atropine drops: Compounded into a lower concentration by a specialized pharmacy, these drops are an alternative for children where contact lenses are not an option. Atropine can be a helpful tool for slowing myopia progression. However, atropine doesn’t provide vision correction and can cause side effects like light sensitivity, difficulty with near work, and eye dryness. We often reserve low-dose atropine as a combination or adjunctive therapy alongside contact lenses when additional treatment is needed for effective myopia control.

We’ll explain each option in detail, so you know how they work and what they could mean for your child’s vision.

5. Developing a Personalized Myopia Management Plan

Based on your child’s exam results and lifestyle, we’ll create a tailored myopia management plan. This may include lifestyle recommendations, such as increasing outdoor playtime or adjusting screen time habits, alongside the chosen myopia control lens. Our goal is to create a plan that fits seamlessly into your child’s daily routine while helping to slow myopia progression.

6. Setting Realistic Expectations and Goals

While myopia control can’t eliminate myopia, it can significantly reduce how quickly it progresses. We’ll discuss realistic treatment goals, what to expect in terms of vision improvement, and how long it may take to see changes. Setting clear expectations helps you and your child understand the impact of myopia control and allows us to monitor progress effectively.

7. Parent Q&A Session

We know that trying new treatments, especially contact lenses, can bring up a lot of questions. Our team is here to address any concerns, from how safe these lenses are for children to proper care and handling. We want you to feel confident in your child’s treatment, knowing you have the support and guidance you need along the way.

8. Setting Up Follow-Up Appointments

Monitoring is a key part of effective myopia control. The doctor will set up follow-up appointments to track your child’s progress, including any changes in prescription and axial length. Regular visits allow the doctor to adjust the treatment as needed and ensure it’s working as intended.

Final Thoughts

A myopia control consultation at Innovative EyeCare is a proactive step for your child’s future eye health. By starting early and working with a specialized treatment plan, you can help protect their vision as they grow. Our team is dedicated to supporting you and your child on this journey, with the knowledge and tools to make the best decisions for their unique needs.

If you’re ready to explore myopia control for your child, schedule a consultation with us today. Let’s take the next step together in managing your child’s myopia and supporting a bright, clear future for their vision!