Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Comparison of Three Clinical Stereoscopic Methods for Measuring Binocular Visual Function During Amblyopic Treatment in Unilateral Amblyopia
Published on: September 27, 2024
Low-dose atropine 0.01% for the treatment of childhood myopia: a pan-India multicentric retrospective study
Rohit Saxena1, Vinay Gupta2, Rebika Dhiman2
1Dr. R. P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India rohitsaxena80@yahoo.com.
Insights
Low-dose atropine eye drops (0.01%) effectively slowed myopia progression in Indian children over two years. This treatment is a promising option for managing childhood myopia and preventing its worsening.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a growing global health concern, particularly in children.
- Effective myopia control strategies are crucial to prevent high myopia and associated ocular complications.
- Low-dose atropine has shown promise in slowing myopia progression, but data in Indian pediatric populations is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of 0.01% atropine eye drops in controlling myopia progression in Indian children over a two-year period.
- To identify factors influencing treatment response to low-dose atropine in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study involving 732 Indian children aged 6-14 years with myopia.
- Participants received 0.01% atropine eye drops for two years.
- Myopia progression was monitored, with analysis of baseline characteristics and progression rates.
Main Results:
- Mean myopia progression decreased significantly from -0.75 D pre-treatment to -0.27 D in year 1 and -0.24 D in year 2 (p<0.001).
- Younger age and higher baseline myopia were associated with greater progression and poorer response to atropine.
- The treatment was effective in reducing the rate of myopia progression in the studied cohort.
Conclusions:
- Low-dose atropine (0.01%) is an effective treatment for reducing myopia progression in Indian children over two years.
- The findings support the use of low-dose atropine as a viable myopia control strategy in this population.
- Further research could explore long-term outcomes and personalized treatment approaches.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of low-dose atropine 0.01% in controlling myopia progression among Indian children over a 2-year period.
Methods:
This retrospective study, conducted across 20 centres in India, monitored the progression of myopia over 2 years after initiating treatment with 0.01% atropine eye drops. This included children between 6 and 14 years with baseline myopia ranging from -0.5 D to -6 D, astigmatism≤-1.5 D, anisometropia ≤ -1 D and documented myopia progression of ≥0.5 D in the year prior to starting atropine. Subjects with any other ocular pathologies were excluded.
Results:
A total of 732 children were included in the data analysis. The mean age of the subjects was 9.3±2.7 years. The mean myopia progression at baseline (1 year before starting atropine) was -0.75±0.31 D. The rate of myopia progression was higher in younger subjects and those with higher baseline myopic error. After initiating atropine, myopia progression significantly decreased to -0.27±0.14 D at the end of the first year and -0.24±0.15 D at the end of the second year (p<0.001). Younger children (p<0.001) and higher baseline myopia (p<0.001) was associated with greater myopia progression and poor treatment response (p<0.001 for both).
Conclusion:
Low-dose atropine (0.01%) effectively reduces myopia progression over 2 years in Indian children.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
01:28Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
01:25Glaucoma: Overview
01:11Direct-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Therapeutic Uses