The quest to find a cure for shortsightedness  has never been more important  as the incidence of children needing prescription glasses for distance vision around the world continues to rise at a rapid pace. Myopia affects a significant proportion of the world's population and overnight correction contact lenses were shown to slow the progression of short sightedness in children significantly, a new study has concluded. The study, Retardation of Myopia in Orthokeratology (ROMIO) Study, which is a featured article in this months edition of Investigative Opthamology and Visual Science was carried in China at Hong Kong University by Pauline Cho and Sin-Wan Cheung. 

In China where the incidence of childhood Myopia is 80-90% of all school leavers a cure for shortsightedness is regarded as a top priority. Similar, although less marked changes have occurred in Europe and the US over the past few decades.

The ROMIO study is a particulary significant because while three previously reported controlled studies indicated a slowing of eye elongation (the cause of short sightedness) with continued use of overnight vision correction contact lenses,  none of these studies assigned subjects randomly to treatment, therefore increasing the potential for bias.

A total of 102 eligible subjects, ranging in age from 6 to 10 years, with myopia between 0.50 and 4.00 diopters (D) and astigmatism not more than 1.25D, were randomly assigned to wear overnight corrective contact lenses or single-vision glasses for a period of 2 years. In all.

The ROMIO study concluded that on average, overnight correction contact lenses slow the growth of the eye by 43%, and the younger a child is fitted the greater the reduction of myopia progression is than in older children fitted with these lenses. Furthermore, the beneficial effect of slowed myopia progression extends beyond the first year of treatment, which is not necessarily true for other forms of myopia control, such as atropine and multifocal spectacles.

Whilst not an outright cure for shortsightedness overnight vision correction could potentially benefit millions of children around the world almost immediately. Overall, the study provides insight into the mechanism of slowed myopia progression, and it provides clinicians with a method to slow myopia progression. With the information presented by Cho and Cheung, we finally have definitive information from a randomized clinical trial that can be shared with parents. 

Find out if you are suitable  for Overnight Vision Correction 

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