Axial Growth and Myopia Progression After Discontinuing Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Wear

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Optometry
• Myopia Control

Background:

• Myopia control aims to slow eye growth, but treatment discontinuation can lead to rebound progression.
• The Bifocal Lenses in Nearsighted Kids 2 (BLINK2) study investigated this potential rebound effect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if discontinuing soft multifocal contact lenses causes rebound myopia progression in children.
• To assess the long-term effects of myopia control treatments.

Main Methods:

• The BLINK2 cohort study followed children (aged 11-17) who completed the BLINK randomized clinical trial.
• Participants wore high-add multifocal lenses for 2 years, then single-vision lenses for 1 year.
• Eye length and refractive error were measured annually to monitor myopia progression.

Main Results:

• Switching to single-vision lenses after multifocal lens wear showed a slight increase in axial elongation (0.03 mm/year) and myopia progression (-0.17 D/year).
• These increases were not dependent on the original myopia control treatment received in the BLINK study.
• Participants who originally wore high-add multifocal lenses maintained shorter eyes and less myopia throughout the study.

Conclusions:

• No evidence of significant rebound myopia progression was observed after discontinuing multifocal contact lenses in older teenagers.
• Eye growth and myopia progression returned to age-expected rates, supporting continued use of multifocal lenses until progression naturally ceases.