A recent study has revealed that young children with myopia who wore specialized bifocal contact lenses to slow down abnormal eye growth do not lose the benefits of this treatment once they stop using the lenses. This follow-up research builds on a 2020 clinical trial, which demonstrated that high-powered multifocal contact lenses significantly slowed the progression of nearsightedness in children as young as seven years old. The new findings show that even after discontinuing the use of these lenses, the positive effects remain, and myopia progression continues at a normal rate expected for their age.

The original clinical trial involved 294 nearsighted children aged between seven and eleven, who were divided into three groups based on different types of contact lenses. Those wearing lenses with the highest additional power experienced slower rates of myopia progression over three years. In the follow-up study, known as BLINK2, researchers monitored 248 participants from the initial trial as they transitioned from high-add bifocal lenses to single-vision lenses. The results indicated no accelerated eye growth following the cessation of the specialized lenses, confirming the lasting impact of the treatment.

The significance of this research lies in its potential to provide healthier vision for children at a lower cost and with more treatment options. Jeffrey Walline, a professor of optometry at The Ohio State University and chair of the BLINK Study, emphasized that the goal is to ensure patients can function fully and clearly see as adults. Myopia, characterized by elongated eye shape, increases the risk of serious eye conditions such as cataracts, detached retina, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration. With myopia affecting at least one-third of adults in the United States and becoming more prevalent, finding effective treatments is crucial.

The BLINK2 study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology on January 16, 2025, offers hope for managing myopia effectively. It shows that after discontinuing the specialized contact lenses, children's myopia progression returns to normal rates, without any rebound effect. This means that early intervention with high-add bifocal lenses can lead to long-lasting benefits, ensuring that treated children maintain better eye health compared to those who start treatment later. Researchers are now exploring further avenues, including delaying the onset of myopia through preventive measures like atropine eye drops, aiming to make a significant difference in reducing the severity of nearsightedness in adulthood.