For parents of nearsighted children ages 6 to 12: three evidence-based ways to slow myopia, with a plan that fits your child.
Care from Dr. Allison LaRue, O.D., optometrist, and the team at Insight Eyecare & Optical.
A stronger prescription every year usually points to progressive myopia (nearsightedness): the eye is growing too long. Regular glasses sharpen vision but do nothing to slow that growth.
Common signs:
You did nothing wrong. We hear this worry often, and there are ways to slow it.
Lenses, glasses or eye drops. All three aim to slow myopia. None undoes it, and none works for every child. We do not fit ortho-k (overnight lenses).
Soft daily contact lenses that correct vision and are FDA approved to slow myopia in children who start at ages 8 to 12. A fresh pair each morning, with nothing to clean. For active kids who want no glasses at recess or sports.
Eyeglass lenses that correct vision and are FDA authorized to slow myopia in children who start at ages 6 to 12. No contact lenses needed. Worn all day in an everyday children's frame. A natural first step for a 6- or 7-year-old.
A prescription eye drop, prescribed off-label and made by a compounding pharmacy. As of October 2026, no atropine drop is FDA approved for myopia. Drops can suit a child who cannot manage either lens. Glasses are still needed to see clearly.
Start with a complete eye exam for your child. Florida routinely requires school vision screening only in kindergarten and grades 1, 3 and 6, and a screening is not a full exam.
Book. Pick a time online or call. Bring past prescriptions.
Exam and answers. Dr. LaRue checks the prescription and eye health, then explains each option that fits, including its limits and cost.
Leave with a plan. A treatment and a follow-up schedule.
Success looks like a child who sees clearly and a prescription that changes less each year.
59%
MiSight 1 day: in a three-year trial of 135 children, MiSight wearers had 59% less prescription change than children in standard daily lenses.
71%
Essilor Stellest: the FDA cites 71% less myopia progression at 24 months than with standard glasses, and longer results are still being studied.
Mixed
Low-dose atropine: mixed: a Hong Kong trial found 0.05% slowed myopia most, while an NIH-funded US trial found 0.01% no better than placebo.
These figures come from different trials and cannot be ranked against each other. Left to progress, the FDA notes, myopia can become high myopia, which raises the lifetime risk of eye disease.
High myopia raises the lifetime risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma and macular disease, so slowing it while the eye is still growing matters. We fit MiSight 1 day lenses, and we also offer Stellest lenses and atropine drops, so the plan fits your child.
Published US prices vary widely. The American Academy of Ophthalmology lists MiSight at $1,000 to $4,000 per year, a general range and not our fee.
Most plans cover the eye exam but only part of the treatment. VSP added Stellest as a covered myopia control lens on January 1, 2026.
As soon as progressive nearsightedness is confirmed, often between ages 6 and 12. The FDA ages describe when treatment begins, so a child who starts at 12 can continue.
The FDA reported no serious eye-related adverse events in the three-year MiSight trial or the Stellest data. Some children in Stellest reported blur and halos. Atropine can cause blurred vision, light sensitivity, enlarged pupils and itchiness.
Most children continue until the prescription settles, often in the mid-to-late teens. About half are stable by 16 and about three quarters by 18.
It depends on the option and on your plan.
No. Treatment slows how fast myopia worsens. It does not bring a prescription back down.
Starting early matters: myopia tends to progress fastest around ages 7 to 10.
Sudden vision loss, eye pain, flashes or a curtain over vision: call us or seek urgent care today.
Dr. Allison LaRue, O.D., Optometrist. Insight Eyecare & Optical, 4068 13th St, St. Cloud, FL 34769. This page is general information and is not a substitute for an eye examination. Brand names are trademarks of their respective owners; Insight Eyecare & Optical is an independent eye care practice.
