Northern Ireland

Two major studies on children's eyesight launched by universities in Northern Ireland

Researchers at Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are carrying out separate studies aimed at slowing down the progression of the eye condition, myopia
Researchers at Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are carrying out separate studies aimed at slowing down the progression of the eye condition, myopia Researchers at Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are carrying out separate studies aimed at slowing down the progression of the eye condition, myopia

TWO major studies on children's eyesight have been launched in a bid to reduce the risk of short-sightedness.

Researchers at Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are carrying out separate studies aimed at slowing down the progression of the eye condition, myopia.

Myopia, or short sightedness, affects nearly 1 in 2 young people in the UK and usually starts in childhood or teenage years and gets worse until late teens or early 20s.

According to the charity Clearly, rates of myopia among children are set to increase from 300 million to 500 million by 2050. It usually occurs because the eyeball is too long and causes distant objects to appear blurry and out of focus.

Although mild short-sightedness is not a serious concern for eye health, with severe myopia comes an increased risk of blinding eye conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and abnormal blood vessels growth at the back of the eye.

Both universities are working to determine if progression of the condition can be slowed down with daily use of eye drops.

Professor Kathryn Saunders, who is involved in the Ulster University study, said myopia is a "rising global epidemic and we are witnessing more young children than ever before presenting with the condition".

"This is worrying because the younger myopia starts, the quicker it tends to progress, with children requiring stronger glasses year on year," she said.

"This is inconvenient for children and parents, but of more concern is that higher levels of myopia significantly increase the risk of eye disease and visual impairment later in life and we want to avoid this and give children the potential to have good vision and healthy eyes for their whole lives.

"Our research, and that of others, has shown that modern lifestyles and environment are partly to blame for increasing levels of myopia and, alongside this clinical trial of eye drops, we are undertaking additional research which will help us define and measure the impact of digital devices such as tablets and smartphones, exercise, time spent outdoors and sleep on children's eye health.

The Queen’s University study, in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, aims to discover the effectiveness of low dose atropine eye drops in children with myopia.

If effective, this treatment will be offered by the NHS and will reduce the visual loss associated with severe myopia. It is hoped data gathered will lead to a shift in services provided to patients with myopia, so the risk of blindness is significantly decreased.

Professor Augusto Azuara-Blanco, senior researcher at QUB, said: "Myopia is a huge burden to the NHS and urgent measures need to be taken to find an efficient and effective treatment to slow the progression of myopia during childhood to ensure we significantly decrease the risks of blindness later in life".

Parents and optometrists can contact Ulster University by emailing Emma McConnell e.mcconnell@ulster.ac.uk or QUB's Professor Azuara-Blanco on 02890976460 or email on a.azuara-blanco@qub.ac.uk