There are two different questions parents ask, and they have two different answers. Try them below — calmly, at your own pace.
Where to start
Personalised for your child
Because Mia is already short-sighted and on treatment, we start with what that treatment does and how to get the most from it — then the options, your questions, and the basics if you'd like a refresher.
We've put the what-if simulator first as a place to start — but everything below is here for you to read in any order. It's guidance, not a rule; your eye-care professional knows your child best.
Start here
Slowing it down
Once myopia has already started, treatment is the main lever for slowing how fast the eye grows.
Slowing existing myopia
If nothing changes
With myopia-control glasses
Projected eye length by about age 18
25.34 mm
vs 26.84 mm with no treatment
Over the next 12 months
0.08 mm growth
about 0.16 mm less than no treatment
Most days
Rarely wornSome daysMost daysEvery day
Worn most days — the typical wear time the research trials measured.
These projections come from your child's own results run through the model. They show what treatment could do to slow growth that has already started — not whether to start treatment. Your eye-care professional decides that with you.
A different question
Preventing it
A different question: how time outdoors can lower the chance a child becomes short-sighted in the first place — before any myopia has started.
Preventing myopia from starting
This is notabout slowing myopia that has already started (that's the panel above). It's about the chance of becoming short-sighted in the first place — a different question, with different evidence.
1 h/day
0 habout 1 h (typical)4 h
Lower chance of becoming short-sighted0%
Scale capped at the evidence ceiling (~47%), where the benefit levels off.
At the typical amount of outdoor time, this is the baseline we compare against. More daylight is where the benefit comes from.
This is a relative figure from research across many children — a lower chance, not a promise for any one child, and not a per-child probability. It only applies to preventing myopia, not slowing it once it has started.
Children who spend the least time outdoors have around 2.6× the odds of becoming short-sighted (Rose 2007). The protective part is bright daylight (≥1000 lux).
Brighter light is gentler on growing eyes: average eye growth runs about 0.13 mm/yr in dim light versus 0.065 mm/yr in bright light (Read). “Brighter ≈ slower” — broad context, not a precise dial.
What's realistically achievable
Be gentle with yourself here. When researchers nudged families with reminders, outdoor time moved only about +10 minutes on weekends (Li 2022) — small, sustained changes, not the big swings this slider can show. Every extra bit of daylight helps, but the real gains come from steady habits, not dramatic ones.
Sources: He 2015 (RCT, +40 min/day school outdoor time; OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.57–0.92, parental-myopia-adjusted) · Rose 2007 (low-outdoor ≈ 2.6× odds). Bank §6. Read (light-graded AL: ~0.13 mm/yr <460 lux → 0.065 mm/yr >1455 lux). Bank §6. Li 2022 (SMS nudge moved weekend outdoor ~+10 min, +18 lux → AL +0.09 mm; SER non-significant). Bank §6.
Ways to slow it down
Once myopia has started, several options can meaningfully slow how fast the eye grows. Here's how each works, what the evidence shows, and what daily life looks like.
Ordinary single-vision glasses
Baseline
How it works
Standard glasses (or contacts) bring distance vision back into focus, so your child can see clearly. They correct sight but are not designed to slow how fast the eye is growing.
The evidence
This is the baseline the other options are compared against — it doesn't slow eye growth, so it's the line everything else improves on.Typical eye growth: ≈ 0.30 mm/yr (the untreated reference).
What to expect
Worn as needed for clear vision, with regular check-ups so any change is caught early. Some families start here and add a myopia-control option later — a conversation to have with your eye-care professional.
Special spectacle lenses look almost like ordinary glasses, but the outer part of the lens gently signals the eye to slow its growth while the centre keeps vision clear.
The evidence
In trials, these lenses slowed eye growth by roughly 50–65% on average versus ordinary glasses — a meaningful difference, though every child responds a little differently, and wearing them most waking hours matters.Typical eye growth: ≈ 0.10–0.17 mm/yr (vs ≈ 0.30 untreated).
What to expect
Worn full-time, like normal glasses — the more consistent the daily wear, the better they tend to work. Most children adapt quickly; some notice the lens edges at first. No drops, no special routine.
Good to know: How well they work depends a lot on consistent daily wear — most waking hours. Every child responds a little differently, so think of the percentages as a typical range, not a promise.
Bank §3 — DIMS (Lam 2020/2023; 60–62%, durable to 6 yr, no rebound) · HAL (Bao 2022; 51% part-time → 60–65% full-time, strong wear-time dose-response).
Low-dose atropine eye drops
~51% slower
How it works
A very dilute eye drop, used once a night, that helps slow the eye's growth. The low 0.05% strength is the dose with the best balance of effect and comfort for most children.
The evidence
At the 0.05% dose, drops slowed eye growth by roughly 51% on average in the LAMP trial. Lower strengths (0.025%, 0.01%) work less well, with the 0.01% effect on eye length being uncertain — so the dose your clinician chooses matters.Typical eye growth: ≈ 0.20 mm/yr at 0.05% (vs ≈ 0.41 control in LAMP).
What to expect
One drop in each eye at bedtime. Generally well tolerated; some children notice mild light sensitivity or slightly harder near focus, which is usually manageable and often eases over time. Lighter-coloured eyes may notice a little more light sensitivity.
Good to know: The strength of the drop really matters: the studies don't all agree, the weakest strength may not slow eye growth much, and response can vary between children. That's why the dose is chosen and reviewed with your clinician.
Bank §3 (atropine 0.05%, LAMP; 51%) · §3a (dose nuances: 0.01% AL effect non-significant; side-effects scale with concentration; LAMP 0.05% photophobia 31% at 2 wk → 8% at 1 yr).
Overnight contact lenses (orthokeratology)
~45% slower
How it works
Firm contact lenses worn only while sleeping gently reshape the front of the eye overnight. Your child takes them out in the morning and usually sees clearly all day without glasses — and the reshaping also helps slow eye growth.
The evidence
Across studies, overnight lenses slowed eye growth by roughly 45% on average. As with any option, the effect varies from child to child.Typical eye growth: ≈ 0.14 mm/yr less growth than glasses alone.
What to expect
Worn every night and removed each morning, with careful daily cleaning and hand-washing to keep eyes healthy — good hygiene is the main commitment. Many families like the daytime freedom from glasses. Regular follow-up keeps the fit and eye health on track.
Good to know: Because these lenses reshape the front of the eye, the usual eye-length measurement can look a little better than the eye really is — so your clinician interprets it carefully. The reshaping also fades if the lenses are stopped, so it's an ongoing routine.
Bank §3 (ortho-K, Sun 2015 meta-analysis; ~45%, modelled on eye length).
Two approaches together
~75% slower
How it works
Sometimes an eye-care professional combines two methods — for example, myopia-control glasses together with low-dose atropine drops — when faster growth means a child could benefit from more help.
The evidence
Combining methods can slow eye growth a bit more than either alone — modelled at roughly 75% — but it also means following two routines, so it's usually considered when the extra benefit is worth it for that child.Typical eye growth: the most slowing of the options modelled here.
What to expect
Both routines together — for example, wearing the glasses full-time and using the nightly drop. More to keep up with day to day, so it's a step taken with close guidance from your eye-care professional.
Good to know: The two methods work together — but you don't simply add the two percentages up. Combining them helps a bit more than either alone, not the sum of both, and this figure is still an estimate being refined as more evidence comes in.
Bank §3 (combination myopia-control spectacles + low-dose atropine; modelled, capped at 75%).
There's no single “best” option — the right choice depends on your child: how fast their eyes are changing, their age, their day-to-day life, and what feels manageable for your family. It's a decision to make together with your eye-care professional.
Ask about Mia's eyes
Ask anything about Mia's short-sightedness — in plain words. Answers use Mia's own results and the research.
Popular questions
For medical decisions, always talk with your eye-care professional. This assistant explains and informs — it never replaces their advice.
What myopia is, simply
A quick, plain-language picture of what's happening — and why acting early helps.
Step 1 of 4
Light coming in
Sharp focus
Focus falling short (blur)
How a healthy eye sees
The eye works like a tiny camera. Light comes in through the front and is focused to a sharp point right on the back wall — the retina. When the point lands exactly there, distance vision is crisp and clear.
Sharp focus = the light lands right on the retina.
This is general education to help you understand what's going on — not a diagnosis. Your child's eye-care professional knows them best and guides any decisions.