Our Experience of Using Soft Bifocal Contact Lenses in Children with Progressive Myopia

Introduction. According to the studies, one out of three myopic patients with refraction greater than –6.00 D and an axial length greater than 26 mm is at high risk of facing low vision and loss of sight in the future. According to the results of medical examinations and screenings in carried out in Ivanovo, the prevalence of myopia in primary school children has increased three times during the past twenty years. Myopic children under 7 years old are six times more likely to have myopia progressed to higher degrees than children in which myopia onset took place later (at the age of 11–12 years). Optical interventions for myopia control such as orthokeratology and soft bifocal contact lenses have a strong body of evidence and are well accepted by ophthalmologists.

Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of soft bifocal contact lenses on refraction, accommodation and axial length in children with progressive myopia.

Materials and methods. We observed 30 children aged 8–15 years with myopia progression rate of 0.82 D/year and accommodative weakness and instability. We prescribed OKVision PrimaBio Bi-focal design soft bifocal contact lenses (OKVision, Russia) that feature +4.00 D addition power on periphery. The effectiveness was estimated by monitoring refraction, accommodation and axial length every three months within a year.

Results. After 12 months of wearing soft bifocal contact lenses, the annual myopia progression rate decreased 4.3 times on average. We were able to stabilize myopia in 50% of the children during the period of monitoring. The use of this intervention had a strong effect on accommodation resulting in an increase of its amplitude and reserve.

Conclusion. The use of soft bifocal contact lenses has been proven to have a strong inhibitory effect on myopia progression rate. Myopia stabilization manifested itself as the absence of increase in myopic refraction and axial length as well as normalization of accommodative function.

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