New FDA-approved glasses can slow nearsightedness in kids

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Wellbeing Writer WASHINGTON AP For plenty of children the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye practitioner But what if those lenses could genuinely help preserve the child s vision and reduce the chances for more serious eye problems in adulthood That s the promise of a new type of lens approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September While the tool has previously been available in Europe Asia and other parts of the world it s now rolling out in the U S Here s what to know about the new approach What is myopia and why is it increasing Myopia commonly called nearsightedness is when people can clearly see objects at close range but struggle with distant objects which often appear blurry or indistinct Studies conducted around the world have shown rising rates of myopia which researchers have associated with increased time indoors looking at screens books and other objects held close to the eyes In the U S to of children will have myopia by the time they finish high school according to Dr Michael Repka a professor and pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Until now doctors had limited options for treating the condition It was typically and merely Your child demands to wear glasses and they ll live with it Repka commented It will be lifelong and it will likely get worse over the next limited years How do the new lenses work The specialized glasses sold under the brand Essilor Stellest are approved by the FDA to slow nearsightedness in - to -year-olds The FDA declared it cleared the lenses based on company evidence showing children experienced a reduction in the progression of their myopia after two years Over time myopia causes the eye to grow longer worsening vision and increasing the peril of tears to the retina the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that is essential for vision Related Articles Move Cheer Dance Do the wave How to tap into the collective contentment of we mode Autoimmune diseases can strike any part of the body and mostly affect women Here s what to know It s feasible to get addicted to pot Here s what to know Breast cancer and birth control A huge new inquiry shows how science can be distorted Trump administration says lower prices for Medicare drugs will save taxpayers billions The new lenses use concentric rings filled with tiny raised dots to refocus light onto the retina in a way that is deduced to slow elongation of the eye Whether this hypothesis is ultimately proven to be true of program matters only in part Repka explained noting that the lenses appear to work regardless of how the underling science works In the company scrutiny children wearing the lens manifested a reduction in eye lengthening when measured after two years At present researchers in the U S and other countries are conducting their own independent studies to confirm those results Ophthalmologists say the feasible benefits go beyond preserving vision to heading off specific long-term consequences of severe myopia which can include cataracts glaucoma and retinal detachment that can lead to blindness Now we have a way to slow that down and maybe we can prevent kids from having that really elongated eye that puts them at peril for blindness commented Dr Rupa Wong a Honolulu-based pediatric ophthalmologist How much will the lenses cost The suggested retail price is according to EssilorLuxottica the company that makes the lenses Major U S vision insurance providers are expected to cover the lenses for children who meet the prescribing criteria How do the new lenses compare to older treatments The only other FDA-approved product to slow myopia are contact lenses made by a company called MiSight The daily disposable lenses approved in use a similar approach intended to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children ages to But Gupta says multiple parents and physicians are likely to prefer the glasses A lot of people might be hesitant to put a child as young as in contact lenses so the glasses offer a really nice alternative she explained A few doctors prescribe medicated eye drops intended to slow myopia but those are not approved by the FDA Which children are good candidates Under the FDA s approval decision the lenses can be prescribed to any child with myopia who s within the recommended age range There were no serious side effects according to FDA although selected children shared visual disturbances such as halos around objects while wearing the lenses The studies that the FDA reviewed for approval were conducted in Asia Repka revealed U S ophthalmologists and optometrists may want to see specific additional research I think before it becomes widely used we will need specific figures in the United States showing that the lenses work declared Repka who is conducting a U S -based scrutiny of the new lenses supported by the National Institutes of Fitness The Associated Press Wellness and Science Department receives promotion from the Howard Hughes Medicinal Institute s Department of Science Guidance and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content