By Susie Shea

Gwyneth Paltrow appeared to be imitating one of the Thunderbirds team as she dropped her children off at their North London school yesterday in a pair of unusual glasses.

The 37-year-old actress wore thick-framed plastic glasses to correct her vision  very much like those favoured by super-intelligent stammering puppet Brains in the 1960s TV show.

However not everyone can or would even want to carry off this thick-framed plastic glasses look to correct their vision. It is not something which will catch on down the red carpet or even with mothers on the school run. As a one off statement thick-framed plastic glasses are a bit of fun but glasses are comberaome and not always flattering.

Shortsightedness is genetically inherited so parents who are shortsighted are likely to pass on this gene to their children. The fact that Gwyneth Paltrow is shortsighted means that Apple and Moses have at least a 40% chance of inheriting myopia. If her husband Chris Martin is myopic too then this risk rises to an amazing 75%. 

With shortsightedness running families and myopia in children on the increase what can parents do to protect their children from vision problems and help improve their eyesight?

Glasses for children are the most common way to correct vision but a new contact lens which is only worn while sleeping could be prove to be a better option. The special custom designed contact lenses  can be worn at any age so both parents and children can benefit. But only children can benefit from "myopia control" aspect.  

"Myopia control" is term which refers to preventing and slowing down the development of myopia and The S.M.A.R.T study currently under way in America aims to validate the use of overnight vision correction contact lenses to control myopia in children.

 Find out if you or your child is suitable for overnight corrective contact lenses