Recent research had shown that lower concentration of atropine is effective in the treatment of childhood myopia. The use of lowered concentration is to prevent side effects of the drug for children undergoing atropine treatment. The side effects atopine includes pupil dilation and loss of accommodation (loss of focusing ability due to the relaxation of eye muscles).
Even though lower dosage of atropine are available for treatment of childhood myopia ( so that the side effects are minimised), we still see many children wearing photochromic progressive lenses to help them read and shield them from bright lights when they are outdoor.
Besides progressive lenses, bifocals is a good alternative and may offer a bigger reading area compared to the use of progressive lenses.
Photochromic lenses sometimes do not turn dark enough to shield the child’s eyes from the bright lights. In this case, the child could benefit from the use of “fit over” sunglasses that offer better protection . However, these fit overs may not fit every child as the size is quite standard and also limited by the size of the spectacle that the child is wearing.
An alternative would be customized polarized flip up clip on sunglasses. These are made to order and offers convenience for the child.
What if your children undergoing atropine eye drop treatment plays sport competitively ? In this case, we would recommend wearing of daily disposable contact lens and a pair of protective sport sunglasses. Alternatively, we can put prescription sun lens into the sports goggles which offer full protection especially for contact sports.
For swimmers, a pair of tinted goggles with prescription should be fine.
We hope this post gives you a rough idea on what kind of solutions (in terms of eyewear) are available for children on atropine eye drops.