What is your opinion on the theory......

[Steph26]

I was just wandering what everyone thought of the theory that glasses actually can make children's eyes worse?

[Judy Canty]

Idiotic.

[Pete Hanlin]

I would pretty much agree with Judy.

On a related but different topic; however, I think there might be merit to the idea that ortho-k for a myopic child might just slow down myopic progression.

Another related point that I've always found interesting (I believe this is in the beginning chapters of Borish's text on refracting)... Close up work certainly does seem to have some effect on ametropia in children. As I recall, in Japan the amount of myopia in school children during WWII decreased significantly (in the absence of school work)- then returned to its prior level after Japanese society returned to normal.

[loncoa]

I know that many ODs feel that overconvergence during near work as a child can cause slow reading and comprehension, line skipping, poor tracking etc., along with frontal headaches. By giving these children a low plus such as +0.75 or +1.00, they feel this overconvergence is alleviated and, while it doesn't improve clarity, it seems to help their reading skills pick up speed and become a lot more enjoyable. I've seen it work hundreds of times, based on what their parents have told me, and based on the fact that loaner glasses were tried first to see if they would help and then the parents ending buying the glasses for their children.
I am aware that most OMDs do not share this opinion. Sometimes, they refract the child, and finding no refractive error, tell the parents that their children do not need glasses and that business must be slow over at the OD's office.
I don't know about anyone else's but our children's packages are nearly at cost. So I'm not sure how this benefits the child. But I do know how I feel when a child who is being helped has that help removed from them because of what's been said.

[chip anderson]

If it's a medicaid case, they gonna need some glasses. But if they don't really need them except for the precriber's bottom line, don't worry they won't actually wear them and it won't hurt anybody. Unless of course you count the poor taxpayer.

[snowmonster]

I get this question from graduate students from overseas all the time, in addition to parents.

My response is that they've been intentionally undercorrected in the past and their eyes still got worse despite that.

Also, wouldn't you rather have your son/daughter be able to see the front of the classroom without struggling, or do you want to "dumb up" your kid with the hope of them not needing thicker glasses?

-Steve

[Chris Ryser]

If there is some strabism and amblyopia they will be a necessity.

[Jubilee]

I can't tell you how many times I have seen children improve in academics, in attitude, behavior, and in coordination because they were given glasses that helped inprove their vision.

The scary thing is that we still have too many children going to school who need correction at best, or who have strabismus and/or amblyopia and they nor their parents know it.

Cassandra

[Barry Santini]

The understanding of the bio-neurological underpinnings of *emmetropization* are in its infancy, to say the least.

I think we should all keep an open mind here, and not let anecdotal experience overly influence an open, scientific outlook on this subject.

Barry Santini, ABOM

[Robert Martellaro]

I was just wandering what everyone thought of the theory that glasses actually can make children's eyes worse?

If you mean in regards to "creeping myopia", it has been thoroughly debunked.

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3082

Regards,