- If your child’s prescription has increased by more than 0.50 dioptres in a year, book a myopia control assessment as soon as you’re able.
- Standard glasses correct your child’s vision but even the right prescription cannot slow myopia from worsening.
- In Singapore, several treatments may be considered, such as low-dose atropine drops for myopia, Ortho-K lenses, myopia control spectacles, and dual-focus soft contact lenses.
You notice your child squinting at the television from a distance, even though you had their spectacle lenses recently updated. Worried, you go back to the optician. Their prescription has gone up again. It may continue to do so until the progression itself is treated, not just corrected.
Myopia does not tend to stabilise on its own, and glasses, while necessary, do nothing to slow the process driving the change. Ahead, we explore myopia control treatments in Singapore and how to choose the right one for your child.
Why Does Myopia Progress So Fast in Singapore?
Singapore’s culture of intense near work, long study hours, and limited time outdoors is a key driver of why myopia progresses so fast here.
Singapore consistently ranks among the highest-prevalence myopia populations in the world, with over 80% of young adults affected (Lingham et al., 2022; SNEC, 2022), which means the environment your child is growing up in is working against them.
The world's steepest myopia curve
The relationship between near work and myopia progression is well documented, but the scale of it in Singapore is striking. Studies from the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases (SEED) programme have tracked this progression across generations, confirming that the myopia epidemic here is structural, not incidental.
Why getting stronger glasses is not enough
Glasses correct the refractive error, sharpening the image your child sees, but they do not slow the underlying process. Each increase in myopia corresponds to a physical lengthening of the eye. That elongation accumulates across a childhood and adolescence, and a longer eye puts progressively greater mechanical stress on the retina, raising the lifetime risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic maculopathy (Grzybowski and Lanca, 2026; Vagge et al., 2026).
Myopia control is not about improving what your child can see today. It is about protecting the eye they can rely on for the next seventy years.
An assessment may take less than an hour and can tell you exactly what is happening. Book one with Dr Allan Fong at Angel Eye & Cataract Centre.
What Can Actually Slow Your Child's Myopia Down?
Low-dose atropine eye drops for myopia
Applied once nightly, low-dose atropine eye drops for myopia have been shown in clinical trials to meaningfully slow progression in children. The 0.01% dose is the standard in Singapore, established through the Atropine for the Treatment of Myopia (ATOM) studies at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and chosen for its safety profile over sustained use (Tsai et al., 2021; Vagge et al., 2026).
Side effects at this concentration may include a mild light sensitivity in bright conditions and a negligible effect on near vision. Annual review by an ophthalmologist is required to assess progression and adjust dosage as your child’s eyes develop.
Atropine is typically the first treatment considered for younger children or those with a rapid rate of increase, and is often combined with optical treatments in children whose myopia is progressing quickly.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) contact lenses
Ortho-K lenses are worn overnight and removed each morning. During sleep, they gently reshape the cornea, providing clear unaided vision through the day. They also slow axial elongation of the eye, not just correct the blur (Pan and Zheng, 2026). They are a good option for active children or those who find glasses inconvenient during sport.
Ortho-K does require careful hygiene discipline as the risk of microbial keratitis (a serious corneal infection) rises significantly if lenses are not cleaned and stored correctly, so parents should be confident their child can manage the cleaning routine reliably before this option is considered.
Myopia control spectacle lenses
A newer generation of defocus designs, including DIMS, Stellest, and MiYOSMART, look identical to ordinary glasses but slow progression through peripheral defocus. They also show meaningful reductions in eye elongation with consistent wear (Vagge et al., 2026).
Unlike contact lens options, there is no cleaning or storage routine to manage with spectacles. They are an accessible entry point for myopia control, suitable for younger children.
Myopia control soft contact lenses
Dual-focus lenses worn during the day correct vision and slow progression. They are a convenient alternative for children who want lens wear without the overnight commitment of Ortho-K, and are generally suitable for older children who are comfortable managing daily disposable lenses independently.
If your child’s prescription has been increasing steadily and you have not yet discussed myopia control with an ophthalmologist, the following signs suggest it is time to do so.
What to Watch For
- A prescription increase of more than 0.50 dioptres in a single year
- Myopia diagnosed before the age of eight
- Complaints of headaches or eye strain after school or screen time
- Squinting to see the board, television, or signs at a distance
- A family history of high myopia (above -6.00 dioptres) in either parent
Any one of these is a reason to arrange a myopia assessment. Book an assessment with Dr Allan Fong to find out which treatment, if any, is appropriate for your child now.
Combination Therapy: When One Treatment Is Not Enough
Combining low-dose atropine with Ortho-K slows eye elongation more than either treatment achieves alone, and has clinical support for use in children whose myopia is not adequately controlled by a single treatment.
This approach is typically considered when a child’s prescription has increased by more than 0.75 dioptres in a single year, or when progression has continued despite consistent use of one treatment. Combination therapy requires closer monitoring and is managed by an ophthalmologist rather than an optometrist, given the need to assess eye length alongside prescription change (Pan and Zheng, 2026; Grzybowski and Lanca, 2026). An eye screening appointment is the right starting point if you are unsure which stage your child is at.
If your child is already on a myopia control treatment in Singapore but the prescription keeps climbing, these are the signs that a single treatment may no longer be enough.
What to Watch For
- A prescription increase of more than 0.75 dioptres in a single year, even while on treatment
- Progression that has continued for six months or more despite consistent use of atropine or Ortho-K
- An ophthalmologist noting continued axial elongation on measurement
What Are Lifestyle Changes That Can Make a Measurable Difference?
Spending 90 to 120 minutes outdoors daily can help slow myopia progression in children. Natural light triggers dopamine release in the retina, which slows eye elongation.
Outdoor time
For Singapore families, the practical challenge is fitting outdoor time around a demanding school schedule. It does not need to be structured exercise — any time spent outside in natural daylight counts, including:
- Time outdoors after school before homework
- Weekend visits to parks and nature reserves
- Walking rather than taking transport for short distances
If your child’s routine looks like any of the following, outdoor time is likely not doing enough to slow progression.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should myopia control treatment begin?
Is low-dose atropine safe for children?
Can myopia control stop my child's prescription from increasing altogether?
Speak to a Myopia Specialist at Angel Eye & Cataract Centre
Dr Allan Fong is a Senior Consultant Eye Surgeon and Medical Director at Angel Eye & Cataract Centre, with over 26 years of experience in ophthalmology, and the former Head of the Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Department at Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC).Â
He provides comprehensive myopia assessments that go beyond a standard prescription check, including axial length measurement to track the physical progression of the eye over time.Â
Contact Angel Eye & Cataract Centre to book your child’s myopia assessment.
Medical References
- Grzybowski A, Lanca C. Management of myopia: a mini-review. Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol. 2026;15(1):19–39. PMID: 42083561. DOI: 10.51329/mehdiophthal1538
- Vagge A, Baldi M, Musolino M, et al. Current and emerging strategies for myopia control in children: a comprehensive evidence-based review. J Clin Med. 2026;15(4):1545. PMID: 41753234. DOI: 10.3390/jcm15041545
- Tsai HR, Chen TL, Wang JH, et al. Is 0.01% atropine an effective and safe treatment for myopic children? A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Med. 2021;10(17):3766. PMID: 34501214. DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173766
- Chia A, Chua WH, Cheung YB, et al. Atropine for the treatment of childhood myopia: safety and efficacy of 0.5%, 0.1%, and 0.01% doses (ATOM2). Ophthalmology. 2012. [ATOM2 — SNEC Singapore]. Referenced via SNEC myopia research programme.
- Lingham G, Mackey DA, Lucas R, et al. Eye care practitioners are key influencers for myopia control intervention. Front Public Health. 2022. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.854654
- Singapore National Eye Centre. Myopia research. snec.com.sg [population data synthesis: SCORM, STARS, SiMES, SINDI, SCES, GUSTO cohorts]
- Pan F, Zheng Z. Combined orthokeratology and low-dose atropine for myopia control in children: a 12-month retrospective clinical study. J Vis Exp. 2026;(232). PMID: 42406634. DOI: 10.3791/70730
- Chen J, Wang J, Qi Z, et al. Smartwatch measures of outdoor exposure and myopia in children. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2424595. PMID: 39136948. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24595
- French AN, Ashby RS, Morgan IG, Rose KA. Time outdoors and the prevention of myopia. Exp Eye Res. 2013;114:58–68. PMID: 23644222. DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.04.018
- Norton TT, Siegwart JT Jr. Light levels, refractive development, and myopia — a speculative review. Exp Eye Res. 2013;114:48–57. PMID: 23680160. PMC: 3742693. DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.05.004
- He MG, Xiang F, Zeng Y, et al. Association of age at myopia onset with risk of high myopia in adulthood: a 12-year follow-up of a Chinese cohort. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020. PMID: 32940622. DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.3814
- Saw SM, et al. Age of onset of myopia predicts risk of high myopia in later childhood in myopic Singapore children. SCORM study. PMID: 27350183
- Azuara-Blanco A, Logan NS, McConnell E, et al. Low concentration atropine eye drops and progression of myopia in children: multicentre placebo controlled, double masked, randomised trial in the UK (CHAMP-UK). BMJ. 2026;393:e086698. PMID: 42276557. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2025-086698
