Low-concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ.
The researchers say the drops led to small but significant reductions in myopia progression compared with placebo and are "a worthwhile addition to currently available optical interventions for the treatment of myopia in children in the UK."
Rates of myopia in children are increasing worldwide and are linked to higher health care costs and long-term eye-related complications.
Atropine eye drops are used worldwide to treat myopia in children but are not currently available in the NHS, so their effectiveness and safety in children in the UK is uncertain.
To address this knowledge gap, researchers recruited 289 children with myopia ages 6–12 years (average age 9.3 years; 72% reported white ethnicity; 56% were girls) from five NHS hospital eye services and academic institutions between June 2019 and February 2022. All children wore standard spectacles to correct myopia.
