There is no one-size-fits-all when prescribing for childhood myopia control. Which option should you choose? In this important reference article, we ask you to consider three key questions which form clinical decision trees in myopia management.
Children, teens and adults with high myopia need special consideration of not just myopia control, but the best type of myopia correction and the importance of ocular health management. Do high myopes progress more quickly? What are the risks and management options?
Which clinical tests are required for myopia management? Here we take you through the recommendations of the International Myopia Institute (IMI) Clinical Management Guidelines Report, with references to several more of the IMI Reports including the latest Volume in 2021. You have everything you need to get started – learn more here.
Growth charts are commonly used in childhood health and are easily understood by parents. When applied to myopia management, axial length growth charts can allow individualized decisions on treatment strategy and efficacy. What charts are available now and how can you use them in practice? Here we explain how to use axial length growth charts from initial diagnosis to treatment strategy and long term monitoring.
Once the myopia management message has been communicated to the parent and patient – information on expectations, efficacy and safety – and the initial correction has been selected, there are three key areas of clinical focus.
What equipment do you need to get started with myopia management in practice? Here we take you through the recommendations of the International Myopia Institute Clinical Management Guidelines Report, with advice on testing and equipment required. There are also suggestions for how you can get started if you don’t have access to all the equipment described, plus what is ideal and what is necessary for best practice.
Axial length (AXL) has been well established as the critical measurement in myopia control research. The measurement accuracy and link to disease risk make AXL increasingly important in a clinical setting. But what else should we measure in the myopic eye? Does the cornea change as well? Will we end up doing away with refraction? Read more on measuring the whole eye in myopia.
Dry eye is a common complaint in general optometry, and can occur in children too. How could dry eye in kids influence myopia management? This blog includes detail on the frequency of dry eye in children; causative factors like allergy, medications, binocular vision and screen time; and how dry eye can factor into myopia control options.
How can you tell if your myopia management strategy has been a success? Our new Myopia Profile ‘Managing Myopia Guidelines’ infographics translate research into practice, providing advice on gauging success by both refraction and axial length outcomes. Given that refraction is universally measured in clinical myopia practice, there is particular emphasis on understanding how much refraction change after a year of treatment indicates whether expected efficacy for that intervention has been attained.
Parents can often ask for advice and help with managing screen time for their children. Here we provide a summary of government and health organization screen time guidelines for children, as well as resources for eye care practitioners to use in communication with parents.
