Childhood myopia: a parent’s guide to myopia control

Myopia is genuinely common and becoming more so. Global prevalence is estimated at roughly 30% currently, projected to reach around half the world’s population by 2050 as environmental and lifestyle factors (more near work, less time outdoors) continue to drive rates up. ¹ We’ve deliberately left out a specific Australia-only prevalence figure here, since we haven’t been able to verify one against a current primary source — if you’ve seen a number quoted elsewhere, treat the global trend above as the more reliable reference point.

The main contributors are a combination of genetics and environment: having one or both parents with myopia meaningfully increases a child’s risk, and modern lifestyle factors — prolonged near work such as reading and screens, combined with reduced time outdoors — are strongly associated with both myopia onset and faster progression. Eye injuries or trauma can occasionally play a role but are far less common contributors than the genetic and environmental factors above.

Squinting, sitting close to the television, holding books or devices very close to the face, closing one eye, rubbing the eyes frequently, difficulty seeing the whiteboard at school, and headaches after screen use are all worth mentioning at an eye test — none of them confirm myopia on their own, but together they’re a reasonable prompt to get your child checked rather than wait for a school vision screening to catch it.

This isn’t only about convenience. Higher levels of myopia are associated with meaningfully greater lifetime risk of sight-threatening conditions later in life — including myopic maculopathy, retinal detachment, glaucoma and cataracts — which is the clinical reason active myopia management, not just corrective glasses, is now the recommended approach for progressing childhood myopia. ² This is also why we track axial length, not just the glasses prescription, when monitoring a child’s myopia — see our axial length measurement and monitoring page for why that measurement matters more than the prescription number alone.

Four approaches currently have good evidence behind them: atropine eye drops, myopia-control spectacle lenses, soft myopia-control contact lenses (such as MiSight), and orthokeratology (Ortho-K). They work differently and suit different children and family circumstances — our comparing myopia management treatments page sets out how they compare so you can discuss the right fit for your child with us directly.

Alongside a chosen treatment, sensible daily habits still matter: aim for at least 90 minutes of outdoor time a day, keep screen use balanced with regular breaks, use good screen positioning (roughly 50–60cm for laptops, 60–80cm for larger monitors), and try the “20-20-20” habit — a 20-second look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes of near work. On diet: there’s currently limited good-quality research directly linking specific foods to myopia progression, so a generally balanced diet supports overall eye health, but isn’t a substitute for proven treatment.

An annual eye test is the general guide for children without myopia; once myopia is diagnosed and being actively managed, six-monthly reviews are typical so progression and treatment response can be tracked properly rather than found out about a year later.

If your child hasn’t had an eye test recently, our children’s eye tests page covers what a paediatric assessment involves. If myopia’s already confirmed, book a myopia management consultation so we can properly discuss which treatment suits your child.

References

1. Sankaridurg P, et al. IMI Impact of Myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2021;62(5):2.
2. Gifford KL, Richdale K, Kang P, et al. IMI: Clinical Management Guidelines Report. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2019;60(3):M184–M203.