Scientists develop overnight contact lenses which can slow short-sightedness in children
SPECIAL contact lenses worn overnight can slow the development of short-sightedness in children, the latest research has shown.
Scientists have developed special contact lenses worn overnight to battle poor eyesight in children
Following trial results the lenses which reshape the curvature of the eye while the wearer sleeps have been hailed as a major breakthrough.
Results showed that wearing the lenses helped prevent the development of short-sightedness and allowed already short-sighted children to enjoy normal vision without corrective glasses or contact lenses.
Previous research had already shown that in adults, vision is corrected the day after the lenses are worn but the effect is only temporary.
Professor James Wolffsohn, an eye expert at Aston University, said: “I am very excited. This technique has huge potential and I believe will change the way we treat short-sightedness.
“We have to show this technique can not only provide perfect vision during the day but also arrest the development of short-sightedness in the future.”
It is hoped the breakthrough will pave the way for more innovative treatment of short-sightedness
He will now help establish the first UK myopia eye clinic dedicated to carrying out the technique.
This technique has huge potential and I believe will change the way we treat short-sightedness
The trials were carried out over three years in 10 centres across the US on 282 children aged eight to 14.
As yet, researchers are unsure whether the beneficial effects would continue if children stopped wearing the lenses.
The study, published in the journal Advances In Ophthalmology And Visual System, showed the lenses also gave perfect vision to adults for the day following their use.
Research teams at Aston University published their findings in a scientific journal
The new lens functions in the same way as braces on teeth, by changing the shape of the cornea
The new lenses, known as Ortho-k, have been likened to the use of braces on teeth.
They work by pressing on the cornea and changing its shape.
Jason Roberts, 45, an outdoor instructor from Wareham, Dorset, said he is a convert to the overnight lenses. The father of two claimed that after wearing them for just one night, the effects were immediate.
“I never looked back since I started using these, even when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro,” he said.