Now Is the Time to Have Your Child’s Vision Checked—Here’s Why

by Tinybeans TeamOctober 8, 2020

Did you know that more than 40 percent of Americans have myopia (also known as nearsightedness)¹? This vision problem can develop and worsen over time as a child grows and can even be influenced by factors such as genetics², increased screen time, and less time playing outdoors³. CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures™ Myopia Management Program with MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are the first and only soft contact lenses FDA approved* to slow the progression of myopia in children age 8-12 at initiation of treatment.^†4 To find out if MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are a fit for your child, talk to your Eye Care Practitioner (ECP) and learn more about myopia management at coopervision.com/myopia-management!

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*Indications and Important Safety Information. Rx only. Results may vary.

ATTENTION: Reference the Patient Information Booklet for a complete listing of Indications and Important Safety Information. Indication: 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. Warnings: Problems with contact lenses could result in serious injury to the eye. Do not expose contact lenses to water while wearing them. Under certain circumstances MiSight® lenses optical design can cause reduced image contrast/ghosting/halo/glare in some patients that may cause difficulties with certain visually-demanding tasks. Precautions: Daily wear single use only. Patient should always dispose when lenses are removed. No overnight wear. Patients should exercise extra care if performing potentially hazardous activities. Adverse events: Including but not limited to infection/inflammation/ulceration/abrasion of the cornea, other parts of the eye or eyelids. Some of these adverse reactions can cause permanent or temporary loss of vision. If you notice any of the stated in your child, immediately have your child remove the lenses and contact your eye care professional. †Compared to a single vision 1 day lens over a 3 year period.

References:
1.Holden BA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016;123(5):1036-42.
2.Mutti DO, Mitchell GL, Moeschberger ML, Jones LA, Zadnik K. Parental myopia, near work, school achievement, and children’s refractive error. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002;43(12):3633-3640. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.0412
3.Huang HM, Chang DS, Wu PC. The Association between Near Work Activities and Myopia in Children-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0140419. Published 2015 Oct 20. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140419
4.Chamberlain P, et al. A 3-year randomized clinical trial of MiSight® lenses for myopia control. Optom Vis Sci. 2019; 96(8):556-567.

These Contact Lenses May Help Slow Down Nearsightedness in Children

by Erica LoopNovember 24, 2019

Does your child have myopia? If they’re nearsighted, CooperVision may have a solution to slow down the progression of this all-too-common eye issue.

The vision company recently announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of its MiSight 1 day contact lens. Unlike other lenses, this daily wear, single-use contact product is shown to slow the development of myopia when prescribed for children ages 8 through 12.

photo: Pexen Designs via Pexels

In a press statement, Daniel G. McBride, President of CooperVision, said, “We can’t overstate the importance and potential impact of this landmark decision on children’s vision, especially considering the rise in myopia’s severity and prevalence in the U.S. and worldwide.” McBride continued, “Eye care professionals who embrace this breakthrough approach will improve the quality of life and eye health for so many children.”

Michele Andrews, OD, Senior Director of North America Professional and Academic Affairs for CooperVision, added, “While there is growing acknowledgment and interest in stemming myopia’s progression, there needs to be more urgency to act earlier. We believe that MiSight 1 day will be a catalyst that helps ECPs move faster and gives rise to better ECP-parent conversations about the issue. It’s a privilege to be at the forefront of myopia management.”

The recent FDA approval follows a multi-year study of children ages 8 through 12 from Singapore, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The results, which were published in the journal Optometry and Vision Sciences, showed that the lenses slowed the progression by over 50 percent.

The contact lenses, which are already prescribed in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Spain, will launch in the United States in March of 2020.

—Erica Loop

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The One Thing Parents Forget to Check Before School Starts

By Laura Harrison

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

August 2, 2019

It’s almost back-to-school time, which means it’s time to start thinking about everything your kids might need to have a successful year in the classroom. By making big trips to buy new clothes and school supplies, it’s easy to forget about one of the most important things your child may need: kids glasses.

As a parent of a child who depends on glasses every day, I know how important it is for my son Jonas to have regular optical check-ups before the school year to ensure his prescription is up to date, allowing him to be as successful as he can be for the year ahead.

Before the new school year officially starts, here are a few reasons why it’s important to keep your children’s eyesight in mind before heading back to school.

Children might not realize they have vision issues or need the help of glasses. There are not always clear signs or warnings that lead a parent to question if their child needs or would benefit from wearing prescriptive eyewear, and at the same time, children might not realize they need to either. Because every set of eyes is different and vision can change at various stages, it’s best to receive regular eye exams. For most kids, this is often recommended every 6 months. Before taking the first step of visiting an eye doctor, there are a few simple warning signs that you can be on alert for that might indicate its time to pay a visit to the eye doctor. A few symptoms to be aware of are:

Squinting or rubbing of eyes
Holding objects close to the face
Lack of concentration
Constant headaches
Haziness or clouding in the pupil

We recommend scheduling an appointment with a local optometrist or with a national vision center, such as Walmart Vision Center, to get your child’s eyes checked, but you can also do a basic home eye test. Keep in mind that home eye testing is not a substitute for a complete medical eye examination by an optometrist.

Your children’s pediatrician may not catch that your children’s eyes need visual correction. While it’s also important to visit a pediatrician before going back to school, these check-ups don’t always include an eye screening. The next time you plan a visit to the doctor, keep this in mind and be sure to plan ahead! I always recommend doing some research beforehand on some local, kid-friendly eye doctors that offer glasses for kids and will be able to give your child a proper eye exam to evaluate if they do need glasses or not.
Too much screen time every day and not enough outdoor time could cause or contribute to your child developing myopia (nearsightedness). New studies are beginning to show that children’s eyes are facing greater strain and are elongating due to too much screen time (elongation of the eye is linked to myopia). If your child has historically had and continues to have a significant amount of screen time this summer, it is definitely beneficial to have their eyes checked to see if their vision is changing. When you visit an eye doctor, make sure to discuss screen time and eye strain with them and get their recommendations for preventing long term damage.

To help decrease eye strain and the potentially harmful effects of screen time in the future, Jonas Paul Eyewear offers both non-prescription as well as prescription blue-light blocking lenses protect children’s eyes from increased blue-light exposure from frequent screen time.

Overall, if your child does need glasses, don’t worry! It’s a new, exciting time in their life. If you need tips and tricks on what to do once you find out you’ll be in need of kids prescription glasses, you can read a few of my recommended next steps here.

Laura Harrison