Multifocal contact lenses slow childhood myopia progression, with lasting benefits after discontinuation.
Over a decade of research has shown that specific contact lenses can help slow the progression of nearsightedness, or myopia, in children, and these benefits appear to last. Dr. David Berntsen, a professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry, along with his team, has spent years studying how multifocal contact lenses influence eye growth in children. The latest findings suggest that the positive effects of these lenses persist even after the lenses are no longer worn.
The initial study, known as the BLINK (Bifocal Lenses in Nearsighted Kids) Study, discovered that children who wore high-add power multifocal contact lenses experienced slower eye growth, effectively reducing the severity of their myopia. This is important because severe myopia can increase the risk of long-term eye problems, including retinal detachment and glaucoma. A follow-up study, called BLINK2, extended the research and found that one year after children stopped wearing these lenses, their eye growth returned to a normal rate without reversing the earlier benefits.
The concern that eye growth might accelerate when the treatment ended was unfounded. Instead, the eyes resumed growing at an age-appropriate pace. Dr. Berntsen and his collaborators, including researchers from Ohio State University, published these findings in JAMA Ophthalmology. The research highlights the potential of starting myopia control early and continuing it into the late teen years when myopia progression typically slows down naturally.

Myopia occurs when the eye grows too long, causing distant objects to appear blurry while close-up objects remain clear. Traditional single-vision glasses and contacts correct this blurriness but do nothing to address the underlying issue of excessive eye growth. Multifocal contact lenses, on the other hand, are designed to correct vision while also slowing eye growth. These lenses have a special structure, with a central zone that sharpens distance vision and outer zones that focus light in a way that may slow eye elongation. Research in animals suggests that focusing light in front of the retina helps curb eye growth, and these lenses apply the same principle to human eyes.
The original BLINK study involved nearly 300 children aged 7 to 11 who were randomly assigned to wear either single-vision lenses or multifocal lenses with varying levels of additional focusing power. Those who wore the high-add multifocal lenses experienced the slowest rates of eye growth and myopia progression over three years. In the BLINK2 study, participants continued to use high-add lenses for two more years before switching to single-vision lenses in the final year to test whether the benefits would last. The results were clear: the treatment’s positive effects were durable, and there was no evidence of a rebound effect.
In contrast, other myopia control methods, such as atropine eye drops or orthokeratology lenses, have shown rebound effects where eye growth speeds up after stopping treatment. Multifocal contact lenses appear to offer a safer and more consistent approach to managing myopia. Children who began using these lenses at a younger age and stayed on the treatment for several years had the greatest long-term benefits, with shorter eyes and less severe myopia compared to those who started later.
The growing prevalence of myopia is a global concern, with nearly half the world’s population expected to be affected by 2050. This condition isn’t just about needing glasses or contacts; higher levels of myopia significantly increase the risk of serious eye diseases. By managing myopia during childhood, it’s possible to reduce these risks and preserve better eye health into adulthood.
The findings from the BLINK studies suggest that fitting children with multifocal contact lenses early on and continuing treatment through their teenage years could be an effective strategy. These lenses not only correct vision but also address the root cause of myopia by slowing eye growth. For parents concerned about their child’s worsening eyesight, this research offers hope and a practical solution. As more eye care professionals adopt these methods, the long-term outlook for children with myopia could improve significantly.
Sources:
Study finds lasting benefits of multifocal contact lenses in slowing myopia
Axial Growth and Myopia Progression After Discontinuing Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Wear
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