If your child is squinting at the board, sitting closer to the TV, or coming home with headaches, you’re not alone. Myopia rates have skyrocketed over the past few decades. In the 1970s, only 25% of Americans were nearsighted. By the early 2000s, that number had jumped to 42%, and prevalence continues to rise. By 2050, experts project that nearly half of the global population, approximately 5 billion people, will be myopic.

This isn’t just about thicker glasses or stronger prescriptions. It’s about your child’s lifelong eye health and their risk of developing serious, sight-threatening diseases later in life.

Why Myopia Is More Than Just Blurry Vision

It’s a Progressive Disease, Not Just a Vision Problem

Many parents think of myopia as simply a refractive error that glasses or contact lenses can fix. While corrective lenses do help your child see clearly, they don’t address the underlying problem happening inside the eye. Myopia is a progressive disease that causes permanent structural changes to your child’s eyes.

As your child’s eyes grow during childhood and adolescence, myopic eyes don’t stop growing when they should. Instead, they continue to elongate abnormally. This process is called axial elongation. Think of the eye like a balloon. When you first inflate it, the rubber is thick and strong. But as you stretch it more and more, the material becomes thinner and more fragile. The same thing happens with myopic eyes.

As the eyeball stretches longer from front to back, the internal structures, especially the retina at the back of the eye, become thinner and more vulnerable to damage. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue that captures images and sends them to your brain. When it becomes stretched and thinned, it’s at much greater risk of tearing, detaching, or developing degenerative changes. This structural change dramatically increases your child’s risk of serious, sight-threatening diseases later in life.

Every Diopter Increases Their Risk

When we talk about myopia, we measure it in units called diopters. A prescription of minus 1.00 diopter means mild myopia. Minus 3.00 to minus 5.00 is moderate myopia. Anything beyond minus 5.00 is considered high myopia. Every additional diopter your child develops doesn’t just mean they need stronger glasses. It significantly increases their risk of developing serious eye diseases.

Clinical research has shown that every diopter of myopia your child develops increases their risk of retinal detachment by 30%. That same diopter increases their risk of myopic macular degeneration by a staggering 67%. Their risk of glaucoma goes up by 20%, and their risk of developing posterior subcapsular cataracts earlier in life also increases by 20%. These aren’t just statistics. They represent real threats to your child’s future vision and quality of life.

The Four Diseases Every Parent Should Know About

Retinal Detachment: The Most Common Cause of Vision Loss in Young Adults

Retinal detachment is one of the most serious complications of progressive myopia. When the eye stretches too long, the retina becomes paper-thin, much like a piece of fabric that’s been pulled too tight. This thinning makes the retina vulnerable to developing tears or holes. In the worst cases, the retina can completely detach from the wall of the eye.

A child who reaches minus 6.00 diopters of myopia faces a 21 times higher risk of retinal detachment compared to someone with normal vision. This condition often happens suddenly, during routine activities, with no warning signs. You might be playing basketball, reaching up to grab something from a high shelf, or simply going about your normal day when it occurs.

Even with modern surgical techniques, retinal detachment surgery has a 5% to 10% failure rate, and permanent vision loss can occur in some cases that are not treated promptly or where complications arise. The detached retina cannot capture light properly, leading to blind spots, distorted vision, or even complete blindness in that eye if not treated immediately. For young adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, retinal detachment is the most common cause of vision loss. This is exactly when your child will be starting their career, raising their own family, and living their most active and productive years.

Myopic Macular Degeneration: The Leading Cause of Blindness in Working-Age Adults

The macula is a tiny area at the center of your retina. It’s responsible for your sharp, central vision. This is what allows you to read, recognize faces, drive, and see fine details. In high myopia, the macula can break down and degenerate due to the extreme stretching of the eye.

When myopic macular degeneration develops, it creates permanent blind spots in the center of your vision. Imagine trying to read a book, but the exact spot you’re looking at is always blurred or missing. You can see around the edges, but whatever you’re trying to focus on directly is gone. This affects your ability to read, recognize your own children’s faces, drive safely, or do any work requiring fine detail.

Each diopter of myopia increases the risk of this condition by 67%. High myopes with prescriptions of -8.00 diopters or worse face a 40 times higher risk compared to people with normal vision. Unlike the age-related macular degeneration that affects elderly people, myopic macular degeneration typically appears in people in their 30s and 40s. These are people who should be in the prime of their lives, building careers and raising families. Currently, there is no cure for myopic macular degeneration once it develops. It is progressive and irreversible.

The tragedy is that it’s largely preventable through early myopia control during childhood.

Glaucoma: The Silent Thief of Sight

Glaucoma is often called the silent thief of sight because it progresses slowly, without symptoms, until significant damage has already occurred. In glaucoma, increased pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve. The optic nerve is like a cable that connects your eye to your brain, transmitting all the visual information your retina captures.

Your child’s risk of developing glaucoma increases by 20% with every diopter of myopia they develop. High myopes face three times the risk compared to people with normal vision. The damage from glaucoma typically starts in your peripheral vision, which is why people often don’t notice it at first. You might not realize anything is wrong until you’ve already lost a significant portion of your visual field.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it cannot be recovered. The best we can do is stop or slow further progression. Treatment requires lifelong commitment to daily eye drops, laser procedures, or surgery to control the pressure inside the eye. Many people with glaucoma need multiple medications and repeated procedures throughout their lives.

Early Cataracts: Surgery in Their 40s Instead of Their 80s

Most people think of cataracts as something that affects elderly people in their 70s or 80s. While cataracts are a normal part of aging for everyone, high myopes develop them much, much earlier. The clouding of the eye’s natural lens happens decades sooner in people with progressive myopia.

High myopes face approximately five times the risk of developing cataracts compared to people with normal vision, with cataracts appearing decades earlier than in non-myopic individuals. High myopes face five times the risk of developing cataracts compared to people with normal vision. This means your child could need surgical lens replacement in their 40s or 50s instead of their 70s or 80s.

Cataracts interfere with your ability to see clearly, making everything look cloudy or dim. This affects driving, especially at night, reading, using computers, and performing any detailed work. For someone in their peak career years, this can be devastating. While cataract surgery is common and generally successful, it’s not without risks. Having surgery earlier means living with an artificial lens for more decades and potentially facing a higher lifetime risk of complications.

Does Your Child Have These Risk Factors?

Family History: Genetics Play a Major Role

If you or your spouse are nearsighted, your child is at significantly higher risk of developing myopia themselves. The genetic component is strong and well-documented in scientific research. If myopia runs in your family, your child faces significantly higher risk of developing nearsightedness themselves. Research shows that children with two myopic parents have substantially higher risk than those with one or no myopic parents, though the exact percentages vary by population and study design.

Understanding your family history helps you know how closely to monitor your child’s vision. If myopia runs in your family, you should be especially vigilant about regular eye exams, lifestyle modifications, and early intervention if nearsightedness begins to develop.

The Outdoor Time Crisis

Here’s a startling comparison that puts modern childhood into perspective: Research shows that many children today spend less than one hour outdoors daily, which is below the protective threshold of 90 to 120 minutes needed for healthy eye development.

At the same time, screen time has exploded. Screen time has increased dramatically in recent years. Children today spend multiple hours daily on digital devices including phones, tablets, computers, and televisions. This dramatic shift from outdoor play to indoor screen time is directly correlated with the myopia epidemic we’re seeing in children today.

The constant close-up focusing required for screens, books, and other near work, combined with the lack of natural outdoor light exposure, creates the perfect storm for myopia development and progression.

Why Outdoor Time Is Medicine, Not Optional

When your child spends time outdoors in natural light, something remarkable happens in their eyes. The bright, natural light triggers the release of a chemical called dopamine in the retina. Dopamine acts as a natural signal that tells the eye to stop elongating. It’s like a biological brake that slows down the abnormal eye growth that causes myopia.

Research has identified that there’s a protective threshold for outdoor time. Children need a minimum of 90 to 120 minutes of outdoor time per day to receive this protective effect. This doesn’t mean they need to be running around playing sports the entire time. Simply being outdoors in natural light is enough. They could be reading a book outside, eating lunch on the playground, walking to school, or playing in the backyard.

Think of outdoor time as a daily vitamin for your child’s eyes. Just as you wouldn’t skip giving your child important nutrients their body needs to grow healthy, you shouldn’t skip the outdoor time their eyes need to develop properly. This isn’t a suggestion or a nice-to-have. It’s a critical protective factor that should be prioritized in your child’s daily routine.

Why Starting Early Changes Everything

The Younger They Are, the More We Can Save

The age at which myopia begins is one of the most important predictors of how severe it will eventually become. A child who develops myopia at age 6 will progress through many more years of active eye growth than a child who doesn’t become nearsighted until age 12. Each year of uncontrolled myopia progression adds more diopters to your child’s prescription.

The younger your child is when myopia begins, the more diopters they will accumulate by the time they reach adulthood. A child who starts at minus 1.00 at age 6 and progresses by half a diopter each year will reach minus 7.00 by age 18. That’s high myopia with all the associated disease risks we’ve discussed. But if we can slow that progression by 50%, they might only reach minus 4.00, keeping them in the safer moderate myopia range.

Every year of delay in starting treatment allows the disease to progress unchecked. Each year without intervention costs your child diopters of vision and exponentially increases their risk of blindness later in life. Time is not on your side. The window for the most effective intervention is during childhood when the eyes are still growing.

The Power of Saving Just One Diopter

Here’s where the hope comes in. Research has shown us exactly how valuable each diopter of myopia prevention is. Slowing your child’s myopia progression by just one diopter reduces their lifetime risk of myopic macular degeneration by 40%. Let that sink in. One diopter equals a 40% reduction in the risk of the leading cause of legal blindness in working-age adults.

That same single diopter reduces their risk of retinal detachment by approximately 30%, their overall visual impairment risk by 20%, and their risk of developing glaucoma by 20%. Every diopter we save today is literally a lifetime of clearer, safer vision tomorrow. This is why early intervention with proven myopia control treatments is so critical.

Two Breakthrough Treatments That Work for Young Children

Stellest Lenses: The First FDA-Authorized Myopia Control Glasses

In September 2025, the FDA authorized Stellest lenses, marking a major breakthrough in myopia management. These are the first spectacle lenses specifically designed and clinically proven to slow myopia progression in children. To parents, Stellest lenses look like regular eyeglasses. Your child can wear them just like they would any other pair of glasses.

But these lenses incorporate revolutionary technology that works continuously throughout the day to slow your child’s myopia progression. The technology is called H.A.L.T., which stands for Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target. Here’s how it works in simple terms.

The lens has a clear central zone in the middle that your child looks through for all their everyday activities. This central zone corrects their nearsightedness, allowing them to see clearly at all distances. Around this central zone are 1,021 tiny aspherical lenslets arranged in concentric rings. These lenslets are so small and precisely designed that your child won’t see them or be bothered by them during normal activities.

These lenslets create a specific pattern of light that reaches the retina. In normal myopic progression, light focuses behind the retina in the peripheral parts of the eye. This sends a signal to the eye to keep growing longer. The Stellest lenslets reverse this by creating light that focuses in front of the retina instead. This sends a stop growing signal to the eye, helping to slow down the abnormal elongation that drives myopia progression.

How Effective Are They?

Stellest lenses have been rigorously tested in clinical trials. In a randomized, double-masked study conducted in the United States, researchers followed children ages 6 to 12 for two years. Half the children wore Stellest lenses, and half wore regular single-vision lenses. The results were remarkable.

Children wearing Stellest lenses showed 71% less myopia progression over the two years compared to children wearing regular glasses. Even more importantly, they showed 53% less eye lengthening, which is the actual structural change that increases disease risk. That’s not just better vision. That’s preventing the eye from stretching and thinning in ways that lead to blindness later in life.

Perfect for Children Ages 6 to 12

Stellest lenses work for children with myopia ranging from minus 0.75 diopters to minus 4.50 diopters. They can also correct up to about 1.50 diopters of astigmatism, which is a common additional refractive error. The lenses are manufactured to meet pediatric safety standards and are designed to be impact-resistant for active children. They are lightweight and thin, making them comfortable for all-day wear that is essential for myopia control effectiveness.

For Stellest lenses to work effectively, your child needs to wear them consistently. The clinical trial results showing 71% effectiveness were based on children wearing the lenses at least 10 to 12 hours per day. The more hours per day your child wears them, the better the results. Think of it like taking a medication. If you only take it occasionally, it won’t work as well as taking it consistently as prescribed.

Ideal for Kids Who:

Aren’t ready for contact lens handling

Have sensory sensitivities that make contact lenses uncomfortable

Prefer the simplicity of glasses

Are too young for contact lenses

Want a non-invasive treatment approach

Stellest offers all the simplicity and ease of regular glasses while providing clinically proven myopia control.

Low-Dose Atropine: Safe, Effective, and Simple

Low-dose atropine represents a completely different approach to myopia control. Instead of using an optical lens to change how light enters the eye, atropine is a medication that works directly on the eye’s biology to slow down abnormal growth. The medication has been used safely in eye care for nearly 100 years. When your child goes to the eye doctor for a dilated eye exam, the drops they use to temporarily enlarge the pupil are often atropine. For myopia control, we use the exact same medication, just at a much lower concentration.

Atropine is what’s called an anticholinergic blocking agent. In simple terms, it works on the receptors in the eye that control growth signals. When applied nightly as eye drops, low-dose atropine slows down the axial elongation of the eye. It interferes with the biochemical signals that tell the eye to keep growing longer. The result is a significant reduction in myopia progression.

Proven Results Across Thousands of Children

Multiple large-scale research studies have proven atropine’s effectiveness. The LAMP Study, which stands for Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression, was a randomized, double-masked clinical trial that followed 438 children ages 4 to 12. The study tested three different low concentrations of atropine: 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01%. All three concentrations showed significant effectiveness in slowing myopia progression.

Multiple large-scale studies have proven atropine’s effectiveness. The LAMP Study demonstrated reductions of 33% to 67% depending on concentration, while the ATOM2 study showed 59% to 75% effectiveness. A 2022 meta-analysis by Kumari et al. published in Frontiers in Medicine confirmed that low-dose atropine delivers approximately 50% to 60% reduction in myopia progression compared to children receiving no treatment.

Exceptionally Safe for Children

One of parents’ biggest concerns about any medication is safety and side effects. Low-dose atropine has an excellent safety profile that has been documented in multiple large-scale studies.

In the LAMP Study, which followed 438 children ages 4 to 12 for multiple years, researchers carefully tracked all side effects. Mild photosensitivity (light sensitivity) was the most common side effect, occurring in a small percentage of children using the 0.05% concentration. This photophobia, as it’s called medically, only occurred outdoors in very bright conditions. Children had no discomfort in normal indoor lighting or even typical outdoor daylight. The problem was easily managed by having the child wear sunglasses or a sun hat during outdoor activities on very sunny days. Studies have shown that side effects are minimal and well-tolerated, with no serious or sight-threatening adverse events reported in clinical trials. The side effects that occurred in year one had resolved as the children’s eyes adapted to the medication. No serious or sight-threatening side effects occurred in any of the children studied.

This is very different from the higher concentrations of atropine that were used in older studies decades ago. Those higher doses caused significant pupil dilation, difficulty focusing up close, and uncomfortable light sensitivity. The ultra-low doses used today avoid these problems almost entirely while still providing excellent myopia control effectiveness.

Perfect for:

Very young children under age 6 who aren’t ready for contact lenses

Children with allergies to lens materials

Fast progressors who are adding multiple diopters per year and need extra support

Kids who can combine it with Stellest for aggressive control in severe cases

Children who prefer not to wear any lenses during the day or overnight

The treatment is as simple as putting in one drop in each eye each night before bed. Parents can easily administer the drops for younger children, and older children can learn to do it themselves. The drops can be combined with other myopia control treatments for children with very rapid progression who need maximum effect.

Why This Window Matters

Your child’s eyes are growing rapidly right now. Between ages 5 and 18, the eyes go through tremendous growth and development. This is exactly when myopia develops and progresses most quickly. This is also the window when we can have the greatest impact.

That nearly tenfold increase happens during the childhood and teenage years. Starting treatment early, when the eye is growing most rapidly, maximizes the benefit over your child’s entire developmental period.

Think of it this way. If your child’s myopia is progressing by half a diopter every year, and we can reduce that progression by 60%, we’re saving 0.30 diopters every single year. Over 10 years of childhood and adolescence, that adds up to 3 diopters saved. That could be the difference between moderate myopia and high myopia. It could be the difference between relatively low disease risk and very high risk of blindness.

Waiting is not a neutral choice. Every year without treatment allows the disease to progress unchecked. The earlier we start treatment, the more vision we save. The longer we wait, the more opportunity we miss to protect your child’s future.

The Highest Rated Eye Care Center In Orange County

What Our Patients are Saying

“Insight vision has great customer service staff n the best optometrist Ive ever seen
Dr Nathan Schramm spends as much time as needed n has the highest advanced technology. I highly recommend this practice for anyone with any vision problem.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nancy B.

“Everyone there was really nice. From the front desk to the doctor, they were all very nice and accommodating. Rachel was the one who taught me how to put contact lenses in my eyes and she was super patient with me. Definitely recommend this place.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tim S.

Take Action Today: Protect Your Child’s Future Vision

Why Families Trust Insight Vision Center Optometry

Insight Vision Center in Costa Mesa, California, has built a reputation that extends far beyond Orange County. Families travel from across the United States and even from other countries to receive myopia management care at this practice. This global recognition reflects the advanced expertise and comprehensive approach the practice offers.

The team at Insight Vision Center provides fully customized treatment plans using all four proven myopia control modalities: Stellest lenses, Atropine therapy, Orthokeratology overnight lenses, and MiSight multifocal contact lenses. Rather than pushing one particular treatment, the doctors work with each family to understand the child’s age, lifestyle, prescription, maturity level, and preferences to design the optimal approach.

Meet Our Myopia Management Leaders

Dr. Thanh Mai, OD, FSLS, FIAOMC serves on the leadership team of Treehouse Eyes, a national myopia management program. Dr. Mai is also a Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society. Known as the Vision Whisperer for the exceptional care provided to children, Dr. Mai brings internationally recognized expertise to every patient consultation.

Dr. Nathan Schramm, OD, FSLS, FBCLA, the Scleral Lens Whisperer, is a Fellow of both the Scleral Lens Education Society and the British Contact Lens Association. This dual fellowship status represents advanced training and expertise recognized on an international level.

Dr. Valerie Lam, OD, FAAO, FOVDR, known as the Autism Whisperer, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the Optometric Vision Development and Rehabilitation Association. Dr. Lam has specialized expertise connecting with special needs and neurodiverse children, ensuring that every child receives compassionate, individualized care.

Your Next Step: Free Myopia Evaluation

Insight Vision Center is offering a complimentary myopia evaluation, valued at $150 to $250, to assess your child’s risk factors, current prescription, and eye health. During this comprehensive consultation, the doctors will measure your child’s vision, evaluate the health of their eyes, and discuss which treatment options will work best for your family’s specific situation.

This is not a high-pressure sales consultation. This is an educational visit where you’ll receive honest, evidence-based recommendations about whether your child needs treatment, which options make sense for their age and lifestyle, and what you can expect from the process. You’ll leave with clarity and a personalized plan, whether you decide to move forward immediately or take time to think about your options.

Schedule Your Free Evaluation Today:

Call: 714-942-1361

Visit: 3151 Airway Ave. Ste. M3, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

We serve families in: Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, and Fountain Valley

Not Sure Where to Start? Talk to Our Myopia Management Care Coordinator

If you prefer to ask questions before scheduling an appointment, you can arrange a complimentary phone consultation with the Myopia Management Care Coordinator. During this relaxed conversation, you can ask about your child’s specific situation, understand which treatment paths might make sense, and get answers to all your concerns with zero pressure and complete transparency.

The coordinator will help you understand the process, discuss costs and insurance coverage, and determine whether your child is a candidate for treatment. This is your opportunity to gather information and make an informed decision about your child’s eye health.

Your child’s eyes are growing rapidly right now. This is your window to make a difference. Every diopter matters. Each diopter we save reduces their lifetime risk of blindness. Early intervention is the only way to protect their future eye health. The treatments are proven, safe, and effective. The question is not whether to act, but when. The answer should be now.

Insight Vision Center Optometry is a proud member of Vision Source, the premier network of private practice optometrists.

Our Testimonials

Real experiences from clients who’ve seen our expertise—discover what our patients have to say.

Dr. Chen and the staff are very friendly and professional and can provide patients with sincere service and advice.

Elise Fu

Insight Vision Center Optometry has truly transformed my eyecare experience over the past year. Under the expert care of Dr. Chen, Dr. Schramm, Dr. Lam, and Dr. Mai, I've received unparalleled attention and personalized service. Their commitment to excellence extends beyond the doctors to the outstanding admin and tech team who ensure a seamless... Read more

Nathaniel Choi

Dr. Mai and the entire personnel are amazing! Extremely polite, kind and professional. In addition, I can now see 20/20!!! Thank you, thank you all

Franchezka 777

Dr. Schramm is stellar. He really cares about his patients. Great staff. Scleral lenses are life changing.

Kevin W

My first eye exam in fifteen years. I am so thankful that I found Insight Vision Center. Dr. Lam and staff made me feel like a welcome guest. My eye exam revealed very minor blurriness and Dr. Lam did not pressure me into purchasing eyewear for a condition not necessitating glasses… yet. Maybe next... Read more

Scott H.

Dr. Lam and staff are amazing. Every phone call or interaction is friendly. You can feel the smiles and joy over whatever mode of communication you are interacting with them. Dr. Lam is very knowledgeable and helps you to better understand everything that is going on with your eyes. She made me aware of... Read more

Virgilio S.