How to Reduce Your Child's Risk of Myopia - W Optics Kids Myopia Control Assessment

Since most of our family members wear spectacles, we weren't that surprised that Lil Pumpkin got her first pair of glasses in May this year. After all, heredity is one of the causes of myopia.

The boy was randomly asking her to read road signs but she couldn't seem to see them clearly, so he decided to get her eyes checked.

At that time, her myopia or shortsightedness wasn't tooooo bad - just about 100 degrees. And she didn't actually have to wear one all the time but she chose to. Maybe because we all did so and she doesn't want to feel left out??

Anyway, when she started wearing specs, all of a sudden, my little girl seemed all grown up!! Aww! #wheredidmybabygo

Last month, since the boy and I were having our W Optics Comprehensive Eye Examination done, Lil Pumpkin went for their W Optics Myopia Control Assessment with one of their experienced optometrist.

Just like our comprehensive eye examination, her myopia control assessment is more than a basic eye check to determines the refractive prescription of an individual.

The assessment takes around 30mins and uses state-of-the-art equipment to identify the best vision corrective solution for the child's myopia, and also screens and diagnoses different eye conditions or eye diseases.

Parents are required to be in the room while the child takes the assessment.

The optometrist started off by asking Lil Pumpkin some of her family history, health and lifestyle like when did she start wearing spectacles, her favourite activities, her reading habits etc. 

After that, she examined Lil Pumpkin's eyes and its surrounding areas with machines. These customised tests included the following:

• Visual Acuity Test: measures how well she can see at near and far distances
• Subjective Refraction Test: determines, by trial and error using Lil Pumpkin’s cooperation, the combination of lenses that will provide the best corrected visual acuity
• Vision Function Test: investigates how she uses vision for various tasks and her peripheral area of vision
• Binocular Vision Test: checks if she can maintain visual focus on an object with both eyes to create one single image
• Colour Vision Assessment: determines if she has colour blindness 
• Slit-Lamp Exam: diagnoses glaucoma, detached retina, macular degeneration, cornea injuries etc. 
• Corneal Topography: maps the curve of Lil Pumpkin's cornea to show possible problems on eye's surface like swelling or scarring
• Retinal Tomography: gives a remarkably detailed image of the retina and all of its layers to check for conditions like age-related macular degeneration or retinal detachment

Like me, Lil Pumpkin doesn't really like people to touch her eyes so I appreciated the optometrist being so sweet and gentle with Lil Pumpkin to make her feel at ease.

She assured Lil Pumpkin if she showed any signs of discomfort and patiently answered any of Lil Pumpkin's curious questions.

I like that the optometrist took the time to explain her assessment findings in simple terms to Lil Pumpkin too, instead of just to us, her parents.

I know that when Lil Pumpkin hears something from other experts or "teachers", she tends to pay more attention and follow their advice better. She takes their words more seriously than ours! Is this the same with your kids too?? haha..

Here, the optometrist was telling Lil Pumpkin that she found tiny abrasions on her eyelids as she liked to rub her eyes so reminded her not to do so.

Thank goodness we brought Lil Pumpkin to her comprehensive eye assessment and found this out early before it got any worst!

We also found out that Lil Pumpkin's myopia condition had worsened even though she got her new specs just 2 months ago. Yikes! That's fast!

The optometrist explained that myopia can be controlled by slowing down its progression during childhood though. These treatments can induce changes in the structure and focusing of the eye to reduce stress and fatigue associated with the development and progression of shortsightedness.

Whenever possible, we should try to control myopia to keep the child from developing high levels of shortsightedness that require thick, corrective glasses and have been associated with serious eye problems later in life, such as cataracts or even a detached retina.

Spending more time outdoors {higher level of natural light is beneficial}, using less electronic devices & eating more food rich in vitamin D and lutein e.g. kiwi, spinach, squash etc. will help, as well as myopia control treatments using

• Multi-focal optical lenses - special spectacle lenses with different power zones 
• Multi-focal contact lenses - special contact lenses with different power zones
• Orthokeratology {"ortho-k"} - special gas permeable contact lenses worn during sleep to reshape the cornea and be spectacle-free during the day

Based on the assessment results, the optometrist recommended that we put her on a myopia management treatment using Crizal Myopilux MAX lenses.These special multi-focal lenses slow down myopia progression.

The top part of the lenses corrects the vision and offers clear far vision, while there is additional magnification at the bottom of the lenses, reducing the effort for near vision, hence controlling myopia progression.

Kinda like a kiddy version of her daddy's progressive lenses...?? hehe

W Optics Suntec City also has a Myopia Control Centre.

It offers information on myopia causes and management, kids games & activities, as well as a full selection of over 150 children eyewear choices that come in different colour, fitting, hypoallergic material to cater to all kids.

There are even optical frames for infants, sunglasses and sports goggles!

Lil Pumpkin had fun picking out her new spectacles from Swissflex, which has a modular frame system that ensures optimum vision and best wearing comfort since it can be fitted individually.

You can pick and choose the spectacle temple attachments, end pieces, bridges, nose pads etc. It is also super light and flexible, so no worries about Lil Pumpkin over-bending and breaking her glasses!

Since there are different power zones in her lenses now, she needs to learn how to move her head so that her eyes focus in the correct zone when she is doing different tasks e.g. chin up, eyes down to use bottom half for reading, for the myopia control treatment to work properly.

It will take some time getting used to, but children adapt rather quickly... if they want to, haha. The optometrist advised us to let her wear it progressively i.e. start with half a day, then slowly increase the hours so that she'd wear it full-time.

We will need to come back in about 6 months' time to see if her degree has stabilised or not and check if the myopia control treatment is working for her. If it works, she should be on it until puberty.

Lil Pumpkin and her daddy with their new spectacles (*⌒∇⌒*)

Kids should have their eyes checked every 6 months to a year. W Optics Kids Myopia Control Assessment costs S$45 and is available for walk-ins, but I strongly suggest that you make an appointment first via W Optics' website. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends / public holidays.

Check out the above video of Lil Pumpkin's experience and I uploaded more pics/ short vids in my Instagram Stories Highlight Reel too - look for W Optics 230718 folder. 

W Optics Suntec City
3 Temasek Boulevard #01-400 Suntec City
Open daily, 10.30am - 9.30pm
Tel: 6736 1303
Website: http://woptics.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woptics/
Instagram:  @WOptics {Hashtags: #WOptics, #WEYExperienceSG}
* Other locations: Bedok Mall, Causeway Point, Compass One, Great World City, Hougang1, JEM, Singpost Centre, Tanglin Mall, Vivocity & Wheelock Place 

* Disclosure: This is a review for W Optics. All opinions are my own.

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