Prevent Blindness declares August Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
As the school year begins, Prevent Blindness is offering resources for parents and caregivers in recognition of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, the organization announced in a press release.
The free resources include fact sheets, media graphics, toolkits and webpages on a variety of eye health topics, including myopia, amblyopia, strabismus, digital screen time and vision screenings, as well as a series of expert interviews.
“For 115 years, we’ve made it our mission to ensure that children have access to the eye care they need,” Prevent Blindness President and CEO Jeff Todd said in the release. “By working as a team with parents, our program partners and allied health care personnel, we help children take their first steps toward a lifetime of healthy vision.”
Over the past few months, Healio has reported on the latest research and news in children’s eye care. Here are our top stories:
Atropine drops fail to slow myopia in US children, study says
Two years of nightly atropine eye drops did not slow myopia progression or axial elongation in a cohort of U.S. children compared with placebo, according to a randomized clinical trial.
The results contradict those of previous studies in Asian ethnicities and call for further studies evaluating genetic factors, higher atropine doses and a host of other variables, Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA, vice chair for clinical practice at Wilmer Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues wrote in JAMA Ophthalmology. Read more.
Essilor Stellest spectacle lenses slow myopia, axial length progression in children
EssilorLuxottica’s Essilor Stellest lenses slowed myopia progression and axial length increase in children in a 4-year clinical trial, according to data presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
Children who wore spectacles with highly aspherical lenslets saved more than 1.25 D of myopia over 4 years in the trial, which began in 2018 at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in China, according to a company press release. HAL lenses served as the optical design inspiration for the Essilor Stellest lenses. Read more.
Euclid ortho-K lens effective, ‘among the most widely researched’ for myopia in children
A uniquely extensive body of literature supports the efficacy of Euclid Emerald orthokeratology lenses in slowing axial elongation in children with myopia, according to a study published in Contact Lens & Anterior Eye.
“The first Euclid orthokeratology lens was approved by the FDA 20 years ago. Given the long history of its use for slowing axial elongation, we saw this milestone year as an excellent time to collate and discuss the evidence of its efficacy,” study author Mark A. Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD, FAAO, adjunct professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry, said in a related press release from Euclid. “While comprehensive data on other lens designs are difficult to obtain, Euclid lenses are among the most widely researched orthokeratology lenses, and this makes for a rich data set.” Read more.
Risk for corneal adverse events similar in children, adults who wear soft contacts
The incidence of microbial keratitis in children wearing soft contact lenses is no higher than that reported in adults, while the incidence of corneal infiltrative events is lower, according to a literature review in Eye & Contact Lens.
“Historically, ophthalmology has had reservations about the safety of fitting children with contact lenses,” Mark A. Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD, and Kathryn Richdale, OD, PhD, both of the University of Houston College of Optometry, wrote. “Specifically, the concern was that the risk of microbial keratitis may not outweigh the improved quality of life or other perceived benefits offered by contact lens wear.” Read more.
FDA accepts NDA for low-dose atropine eye drop to treat pediatric myopia
Vyluma Inc. has announced that the FDA will review its new drug application for NVK002, a preservative-free, low-dose atropine eye drop for myopia in children aged 3 to 17 years.
“FDA acceptance of our NDA is a major milestone for Vyluma and brings us one step closer to advancing NVK002 as a new, first-in-class treatment option for children with myopia,” Navneet Puri, PhD, founder and chairman of Vyluma, said in a company press release. “NVK002 has been thoroughly tested clinically and adheres to the high-quality standards required of a pharmaceutically manufactured product. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with FDA on the review of this important new treatment.” Read more.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts