For children diagnosed with worsening myopia, bifocals might be a better choice than standard lenses for nearsightedness; researchers have found that the condition doesn't seem to progress as rapidly among bifocal-wearing children.
Those findings, released Monday, raise the intriguing question of whether there is a better way to treat myopia early in its course, slowing its typical progression. The condition, in which near vision is clear but distance vision is blurry, is usually identified in childhood and worsens until late adolescence. Myopia is increasing worldwide, with researchers at the National Eye Institute reporting last month that rates in Americans ages 12 to 54 rose 66% in the last 30 years. Some research had suggested that treating children with bifocals could reduce the ultimate severity of the condition. Bifocals are glasses that use two corrective powers in each lens; traditional glasses simply correct vision for one distance.