Did you know that Singapore is called the “Myopia Capital of the World”? This is not a baseless moniker. Up to 20% of Singaporean children now have high myopia, compared to 10% about years ago.

Figures are worse if you consider myopia in general instead of just the worst cases. More than half of Singaporeans develop it by 12 years old. 

But why is myopia in Singaporean children so prevalent? What could be causing it? And can anything be done for myopia control in children today?

What is childhood myopia?

Myopia is also known as short-sightedness. Childhood myopia is thus myopia that develops during a person’s childhood. 

This condition generally happens because the eyeball is too long. This is called an eyeball with extreme axial length. It causes distant images to end up in front of the retina instead of on it.

The longer the eyeball’s axial length, the worse the person’s myopia is. This is also an irreversible condition, so once present, it cannot be cured. Its progression cannot be reversed either.

Childhood myopia may be caused by a number of things, from a highly urbanised lifestyle to minimal outdoor activity. Genetics may also play a part in its development, as myopic parents are more likely to have children with it.

Signs and symptoms of childhood myopia

Here are the most common symptoms of myopia in Singaporean children:

• Inability to see the whiteboard at school
• Frequent squinting while doing homework, reading, or watching TV
• Frequent rubbing or blinking of eyes
• Regular complaints of eye fatigue
• A tendency to have abnormal head posture
• A tendency to hold objects closer to their face to see them
• Complaints of blurry vision for objects that are far away

Risks of untreated myopia 

Like many other eye diseases, childhood myopia is best treated early on. It can have potential long-term complications when not addressed, including progressive vision deterioration.

It can even increase the risk of blinding eye diseases later in life, such as these:

• Early-onset cataracts
• Glaucoma or optic neuropathy
• Retinal tears and detachment
• Myopic maculopathy

To give you an idea of how serious the attendant risk can be, untreated moderate myopia can multiply the risk of developing these conditions accordingly:

• For glaucoma, the risk is doubled.
• For cataracts, the risk is tripled. 
• For retinal detachment, the risk is multiplied by nine.
• For myopic maculopathy, the risk is multiplied by ten.

Prevention and management

While it may not be possible to cure myopia that has already developed, it is possible to reduce the risk of its development. It’s also possible to slow the progression of existing myopia. 

The latter is where regular eye check-ups and early intervention can make a difference. The sooner myopia is detected, the earlier steps can be taken to prevent it from worsening. 

There are various lifestyle adjustments that can help reduce the risk or slow the progression of myopia. Try these for myopia control with your child:

• Encourage outdoor activity. Spending more time in natural light may reduce the onset of myopia. As little as 40 to 80 minutes may already create an appreciable reduction in risk.
• Limit screen time. Staring at nearby screens may encourage myopia development. Reduce this by implementing rules for their use (like the 20-20-20 rule where children take a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away).
• Ensure proper lighting. Make sure that your child has adequate lighting when reading or using electronic devices.
• Get regular eye exams. Again, these help with early detection for timely interventions that can preserve vision.

Available treatments for childhood myopia

Again, childhood myopia cannot be cured once it has developed. It can be treated or addressed to correct the vision impairment it causes, however. 

There are several corrective options for people with childhood myopia. These include glasses, contact lenses, or advanced treatments.

• Prescription glasses - These are the most common vision correction solutions for childhood myopia. Contact lenses may be used as well.
• Orthokeratology or Ortho-K - This uses special contact lenses that your child can wear overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea for visual correction.
• Atropine eye drops - Low-dose atropine may slow the condition’s progression in some patients, so your child’s doctor may prescribe it. 
• Myopia control lenses - Some lenses may be designed to actively slow the eyeball’s elongation, preventing myopia from worsening quickly.

Get a consultation for your child today 

If you’ve visited this page because you worry that your child may have childhood myopia, you should consider seeing an eye doctor as soon as possible. Only with a proper eye exam can you confirm if your child actually has the condition or not. 

You can reach out to us and book an appointment with our doctors. We can give your child a thorough assessment to determine if he or she has myopia or some other eye condition.

From there, we can discuss the possible steps for addressing whatever issue your child may have. Call us to enquire or book an appointment for an eye examination now.