University study finds lasting effects from multifocal contacts on children's nearsightedness

The University of Houston has reported findings from a decade-long study on myopia control. The research, led by David Berntsen, Golden-Golden Professor of Optometry and chair of Clinical Sciences at the University of Houston College of Optometry, indicates that multifocal contact lenses effectively slow myopia progression in children and maintain benefits even after discontinuation.

Berntsen's team found that wearing high-add power multifocal contact lenses slows the progression of myopia in children. This was first observed in the Bifocal Lenses In Nearsighted Kids (BLINK) Study. The subsequent BLINK2 Study confirmed that these benefits persist after the lenses are no longer used. "We found that one year after discontinuing treatment with high-add power soft multifocal contact lenses in older teenagers, myopia progression returns to normal with no loss of treatment benefit," Berntsen stated in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute, with collaboration from Ohio State University College of Optometry. By 2050, it is projected that nearly half the global population will be affected by myopia, which increases risks for long-term eye health issues such as retinal detachment and glaucoma.

High-add multifocal contact lenses were shown to slow eye growth and reduce how myopic children become. This finding offers potential long-term benefits as higher levels of myopia can lead to vision-threatening diseases later in life. Jeffrey J. Walline, associate dean for research at Ohio State University College of Optometry and BLINK2 study chair, commented on the durability of these results: “These follow-on results from the BLINK2 Study show that the treatment benefit with myopia control contact lenses have a durable benefit when they are discontinued at an older age.”

Myopia occurs when a child's eyes grow too long from front to back, causing images to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. While single vision glasses and contacts correct vision temporarily, they do not address this underlying issue. Multifocal contact lenses work differently by slowing eye growth while correcting vision.

In both BLINK studies, children aged 7 to 11 were assigned either single vision or multifocal lenses with varying add powers for three years. Those using high-add multifocals experienced slower rates of eye growth and less progression in their nearsightedness compared to other groups.

After transitioning all participants to high-add lenses for two years during BLINK2 and then switching them back to single-vision contacts for another year, researchers noted that axial eye growth returned to expected rates without any accelerated growth post-treatment.

“Our findings suggest that it’s a reasonable strategy to fit children with multifocal contact lenses for myopia control at a younger age and continue treatment until the late teenage years when myopia progression has slowed,” Berntsen concluded.

Further information can be accessed through the NEI webpage on myopia.