COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF LOW-DOSE ATROPINE VERSUS MULTIFOCAL SPECTACLES IN SLOWING MYOPIA PROGRESSION IN CHILDREN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/935b7r73Keywords:
Myopia, Atropine, Eye glasses.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Globally, children's myopia is increasing; it often develops rapidly and causes long-term visual problems. Early intervention strategies, such as medication therapy and optical correction, are essential to slowing this process and reducing the chance of future eye disorders.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how well multifocal glasses and low-dose atropine (0.01%) reduce axial length elongation and spherical equivalent progression in kids with myopia.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty children aged six to fifteen with mild to severe myopia participated in this six-month randomized controlled trial at the Social Security Teaching Hospital on Multan Road in Lahore. Either low dose atropine eye drops (0.01%) or multifocal glasses were randomly assigned to the participants. Measurements of the participants' axial length and spherical equivalent were made at baseline and follow-up.
RESULTS: The average age of the 74 participants in the study was 10.68 ± 2.75 years, 10.38 ± 2.69 in the atropine group, and 10.97 ± 2.81 in the multifocal group. Of these, 37.8% were female and 62.2% were male. The study found a significant increase in axial length in the multifocal groups at the second follow-up (25.36 ± 1.30 mm vs. 24.56 ± 1.50 mm, p = 0.020), but no significant differences in other parameters between groups. Intragroup analysis showed that the multifocal group had significant changes in axial length (p < 0.001) and refractive error (p = 0.035) over time, but the atropine group did not.
CONCLUSION: The study discovered that, while both low-dose atropine and multifocal spectacles reduced myopia in children, atropine was more efficient at limiting axial elongation. Both treatments had comparable results for visual acuity and refractive error, with good overall tolerance.
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