Still unknown to parents, several techniques can help curb myopia in children.
- One in 5 children suffer from myopia today in France, a figure which continues to increase.
- Four solutions have proven effective in slowing the progressive myopia of children and adolescents: brake lenses, orthokeratology (wearing rigid lenses at night), day brake lenses and instillation of atropine-based eye drops. .
- Only 17% of French people know that myopia can lead to complications including blindness.
Driven by changes in our lifestyles (more screen time, less time outside, longer studies, children going to bed late), myopia is experiencing a sharp increase in France. Our country thus had only 15% myopes in 1950, a figure which has risen to 40% today and which will reach 60% in 2050.
One in 5 children suffer from myopia today in France
Children pay a heavy price for what professionals in the sector now describe as real “epidemic” :
– one in 5 suffers from myopia today in France;
– 510,000 young people aged 6 to 15 have progressive myopia (progression of more than 0.5 diopters per year), which risks becoming severe in adulthood and leading to major complications (retinal detachment, cataract, glaucoma …).
Orthokeratology, atropine-based eye drops… Here’s how to curb myopia in children
However, there are effective levers for action against this eye pathology which prevents us from seeing far away.
“Four solutions have proven effective in slowing the progressive myopia of children and adolescents: brake lenses, orthokeratology (wearing rigid lenses at night), day brake lenses and the instillation of eye drops based on atropine”, explain the Institute of Medical Education and Prevention who organizes “National Myopia Week” from November 20 to 26. “These solutions are unfortunately still little known in France”, deplores the organization in a press release.
According to an Ipsos survey, less than 2 in 10 French people are aware of the existence of these solutions, but 95% say they are in favor of setting up national information campaigns to make them known.
The earlier myopia appears in children, the greater the risk of it becoming.
Furthermore, only 17% of French people know that myopia can lead to complications which can lead to blindness and barely 2 in 5 are aware that the earlier myopia appears, the more likely it is to become severe with a risk of complications. adulthood.
“38% of parents of children (without a diagnosed vision problem) only take them every 4/5 years or less often”, also deplore the authors of the investigation.
