An eye drop was discovered to slow short-sightedness in children when used daily. It can halt the development of the disease by 50 percent. Daily drops with the lowest concentration of atropine had the fewest side effects and this treatment could become a mainstay because of the trial's success.
As reported by Daily Mail, scientists discovered that atropine eye drops given to children while growing up can stop short-sightedness from developing. The five-year trial involving 400 children aged 6 to 12 reveals that low doses worked more effectively than higher concentrations. Daily dose of the lowest concentration of atropine, only 1.01 percent, slowed short-sightedness by 50 percent compared to untreated children.
It was also found that the lower concentration of atropine had the least side effects as it dilates the pupil by less than 1mm. With drugs like atropine, it can cause light sensitivity.
While atropine has been used by ophthalmologists for years now as a drug to hold the pupil open to examine the eye and to treat the "lazy eye" condition where one eye does not open and develop properly.
"For a long time we've known atropine can keep myopia from getting worse. We now have data showing it is not only effective, but also safe", said Dr. Donald Tan, researcher from the Singapore Eye Research Institute.
'This treatment could become a great ally in preventing myopia from causing serious visual impairment in children worldwide", he added.
NPR reports that cases of myopia are greatly increasing especially in countries like China where almost 80 percent of children are nearsighted. As they grow, their eyesight gets worse as well. While Dr. David Epley, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, says that about 40 percent of people in the United States are nearsighted, that's up from 25 percent in the 1970s.
However Dr. Epley has high hopes for the drug. "With the rates of myopia skyrocketing, it will likely become a mainstay of treating children with myopia." Right now only the 1 percent atropine is commercially available in the U.S. and you have to go to a compounding pharmacy to create the diluted version. Hopefully, the Food and Drug Administration gets to approve the diluted version soon.
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