Myopia (short-sightedness) is one of the most common eye conditions affecting children today.
Children with myopia can usually see objects up close clearly, but objects in the distance appear blurred. They may have difficulty seeing the classroom whiteboard, road signs, television subtitles, faces across a room or sporting activities.
Myopia occurs because the eye grows slightly longer than normal from front to back. Think of the eye like a camera. In a normally focused eye, light is focused directly onto the retina at the back of the eye, producing a clear image. In a myopic eye, the increased length of the eye causes light to focus in front of the retina, resulting in blurred distance vision.
Glasses and contact lenses correct the blurred vision by moving the focus back onto the retina, allowing your child to see clearly. However, they do not change the underlying shape of the eye.
Childhood myopia has become increasingly common throughout Australia and around the world. Researchers believe this is due to a combination of genetics and modern lifestyle factors, including less time spent outdoors and increased near work such as reading, computers, tablets and smartphones.
Today, myopia is recognised as more than simply needing stronger glasses. Early detection allows us to monitor your child’s vision and eye growth, helping us determine whether treatment may be appropriate to slow its progression and support long-term eye health.
If you are concerned that your child may be becoming short-sighted, a comprehensive eye examination is the best place to start.
One of the most common questions parents ask is:
“Why does my child’s prescription keep getting stronger every year?”
The simple answer is that their eyes are still growing.
As children grow, their eyes grow too. In most children, the eye reaches its normal length and then stops growing. However, in children with progressive myopia, the eye continues to grow longer than it should.
As the eye becomes longer, light focuses further in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This causes distance vision to become increasingly blurred and a stronger spectacle or contact lens prescription is needed.
It’s important to understand that glasses do not make myopia worse. They simply correct the blurred vision. The changing prescription reflects changes in the eye itself.
Researchers believe myopia progression is influenced by a combination of genetics and environmental factors, including family history, prolonged near work, reduced time spent outdoors and increased use of digital devices. Children who become myopic at a younger age also tend to have more years of eye growth ahead of them, making them more likely to develop higher levels of myopia.
Not every child progresses at the same rate. Some children’s prescriptions change very little, while others progress much more quickly. This is why regular eye examinations are so important, allowing us to monitor how your child’s eyes are developing and determine whether myopia management is appropriate.
Understanding why myopia progresses is the first step in helping to protect your child’s vision for the future.
Every child’s eyes are different, so every child deserves an individual assessment.
If your child’s prescription is increasing each year or they have recently become short-sighted, the first step isn’t choosing a treatment—it’s understanding why their myopia is progressing and how likely it is to continue.
A Comprehensive Myopia Assessment goes well beyond a routine eye examination. We carefully assess your child’s vision, eye health and individual risk factors to develop a personalised myopia management plan based on the latest scientific evidence.
During your child’s assessment we evaluate:
By combining these findings, we can better predict your child’s risk of future myopia progression and recommend the most appropriate management strategy.
Following the assessment, we’ll explain our findings in plain language, answer all your questions, and discuss the evidence-based options best suited to your child’s individual needs.
Our goal is simple—to help your child achieve the lowest level of myopia possible while protecting their vision for the future.
The latest generation of myopia control spectacle lenses.
Unlike ordinary glasses that simply correct blurred vision, Essilor Stellest® 2.0 has been specifically designed to both provide clear vision and help slow the progression of childhood myopia.
Stellest® 2.0 is the next generation of Essilor’s myopia control technology, building on the success of the original Stellest® lens with an enhanced optical design developed to provide even better control of eye growth while maintaining excellent visual comfort.
Children wear Stellest® 2.0 just like normal glasses throughout the day, making them an ideal option for children who are not yet ready for contact lenses or whose parents prefer a spectacle-based treatment.
Why choose Stellest® 2.0?
At The Myopia Centre, Stellest® 2.0 is one of our preferred first-line treatments for suitable children. Every child is different, so we assess factors such as age, prescription, eye growth, family history and lifestyle before recommending whether Stellest® 2.0 is the most appropriate option.
Our goal is simple—to help your child achieve the lowest level of myopia possible while protecting their vision for the future.
A simple once-daily treatment that can help slow the progression of childhood myopia.
Low-dose atropine eye drops are one of the most effective evidence-based treatments available for slowing the progression of myopia. Used once each evening before bed, atropine helps reduce excessive eye growth—the underlying cause of increasing short-sightedness.
The concentrations used for myopia control are much lower than those traditionally used in ophthalmology, and most children tolerate them extremely well.
Personalised treatment for every child
One of the biggest advances in myopia management is that treatment can now be tailored to your child’s individual needs.
The EIKANCE® range is available in three preservative-free strengths:
Rather than prescribing the same treatment for every child, we carefully assess your child’s age, prescription, eye growth, family history and rate of progression before recommending the most appropriate concentration.
For some children, atropine may also be combined with other myopia control treatments, such as Essilor Stellest® 2.0 spectacle lenses, to provide even greater control of myopia progression.
Regular review appointments allow us to monitor your child’s progress and adjust treatment if required, ensuring they receive the most appropriate care as their eyes continue to develop.
Wake up with clear vision—without glasses or daytime contact lenses.
Orthokeratology, commonly known as Ortho-K, uses specially designed contact lenses that are worn overnight while your child sleeps. During the night, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of the eye. They are removed on waking, allowing clear vision throughout the day without the need for glasses or daytime contact lenses.
While many families choose Ortho-K for the freedom it provides, one of its greatest advantages is that it is also an evidence-based treatment for slowing the progression of childhood myopia.
Why choose Ortho-K?
Every Ortho-K lens is individually designed using detailed measurements of your child’s eyes, including advanced corneal topography (corneal mapping). Regular follow-up appointments ensure the lenses remain safe, comfortable and effective.
Orthokeratology is not suitable for every child. During a Comprehensive Myopia Assessment, we evaluate your child’s prescription, corneal shape, eye growth, lifestyle and visual needs to determine whether Ortho-K is the most appropriate treatment or whether another myopia management option would provide a better long-term outcome.
Our goal is not simply to provide clear vision today—but to help protect your child’s eyesight for the future.
Clear vision, freedom from glasses, and evidence-based myopia management.
For many children, contact lenses provide greater confidence and freedom for school, sport and everyday activities. Today’s myopia control contact lenses do much more than correct blurred vision—they are specifically designed to help slow the progression of childhood myopia while providing clear, comfortable vision.
At The Myopia Centre, we primarily recommend daily disposable myopia control contact lenses, offering a fresh, sterile lens each day with no cleaning solutions or storage cases. This makes them a convenient and hygienic option for children and their families.
Evidence-based contact lens options
We recommend contact lenses that have been specifically developed for childhood myopia management and are supported by strong clinical research.
Our preferred options include:
There is no single contact lens that is best for every child. Following a Comprehensive Myopia Assessment, we recommend the lens that best suits your child’s prescription, eye health, lifestyle, sporting activities and ability to safely manage contact lens wear.
For children requiring additional myopia control, contact lenses may also be combined with low-dose atropine eye drops as part of an individualised treatment plan.
Our aim is simple—to provide clear, comfortable vision today while helping protect your child’s eyesight for the future.
Simple daily habits can help support healthy eye development.
While genetics play an important role in childhood myopia, research shows that healthy lifestyle habits can also influence how myopia develops and progresses. Although these changes won’t stop myopia on their own, they are an important part of an overall myopia management plan.
Encourage more time outdoors
One of the strongest findings from myopia research is that children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia and may experience slower progression.
We recommend aiming for at least two hours outdoors each day whenever possible.
Reduce prolonged near work
Reading and homework are important, but children should avoid spending long periods doing close work without a break.
A simple habit we encourage is the 20-20-20 Rule:
Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 6 metres (20 feet) away for at least 20 seconds.
Encourage healthy visual habits
Simple changes can make a difference:
Healthy sleep, regular physical activity and a balanced diet also contribute to your child’s overall wellbeing and support healthy eye development.
Lifestyle advice works best when combined with regular eye examinations and, where appropriate, evidence-based myopia management tailored to your child’s individual needs.
Include free download document: The Healthy Eyes Family Checklist
Take the first step towards protecting your child’s vision
Has your child recently been prescribed glasses? Has their prescription increased over the past year? If you’re concerned their short-sightedness is getting worse, now is the ideal time to arrange a Comprehensive Myopia Assessment.
The earlier we identify progressive myopia, the greater the opportunity to help slow its progression and protect your child’s long-term eye health.
What to expect
During your child’s assessment, we will:
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Every recommendation is tailored to your child’s age, prescription, eye growth, lifestyle and individual risk.
Why choose DR John Musumeci?
Dr John Musumeci has been caring for families in Fairfield and Western Sydney for over 40 years. With a special interest in childhood vision and myopia management, he combines extensive clinical experience with the latest evidence-based treatments to help children achieve the best possible long-term visual outcomes.
The goal is simple:
To help your child achieve the lowest level of myopia possible while protecting their vision for the future.
Myopia (short-sightedness) occurs when the eye grows longer than normal, causing distant objects to appear blurred while close vision remains clear. Glasses and contact lenses correct the blurred vision, but modern myopia management aims to slow the excessive growth of the eye.
As your child grows, their eyes may continue to grow too. If the eye becomes longer than normal, the prescription increases. Regular eye examinations allow us to monitor these changes and determine whether treatment is appropriate.
Currently, there is no cure for myopia. However, several evidence-based treatments can significantly slow its progression and help reduce the final level of myopia your child develops.
The earlier myopia is detected, the greater the opportunity to slow its progression. If your child’s prescription is increasing, it’s worth arranging an assessment as soon as possible.
No. Glasses simply correct blurred vision—they do not weaken the eyes or cause myopia to progress.
Family history is an important risk factor. Children with one or both parents who are short-sighted are more likely to develop myopia, although lifestyle factors also play an important role.
There is no single cause of myopia. However, prolonged near work, increased screen use and reduced time outdoors are all thought to contribute. We recommend regular visual breaks and at least two hours of outdoor activity each day whenever possible.
Depending on your child’s age and individual risk, treatment may include Essilor Stellest® 2.0 spectacle lenses, low-dose atropine eye drops, myopia control contact lenses, Orthokeratology (Ortho-K), or a combination of these approaches.
There is no single treatment that suits every child. We recommend the option that best matches your child’s age, prescription, eye growth, lifestyle and risk of progression.
Most children undergoing myopia management are reviewed every six months, although this may vary depending on the treatment being used and how quickly their myopia is progressing.
Yes. The treatments we recommend are supported by extensive clinical research and have excellent safety records when prescribed appropriately and monitored regularly.
Myopia usually stabilises during the late teenage years or early adulthood. The aim of treatment is to reduce how much myopia develops before then, helping to protect long-term eye health.
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