A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of low dose atropine eyedrop for childhood myopia

Myopia has emerged as a worldwide public health issue ans is 1 of the 5 ocular conditions identified as immediate priorities by the World Health Organizations’s Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness. In addition to the optical impact of myopia on vision and the associated costs of correction, myopia is a major risk factor for ocular disease. Myopia increases the risk of eye diseases including glaucoma, cataract and retinal detachment.The risk of myopia are significant even in low to moderate myopes and comparable to the risks of smoking and hypertension to cardiovascular diseases.Standard of care currently treats only the optical and medical consequences of myopia rather than limiting its progression.There have been various methods in past described for control of progression of myopia.Among these methods Atropine 0.01 % have been shown to control myopia progression with minimal side effects. There have been no studies yet assessing effect of 0.01 % atropine eyedrops in Indian population for controlling myopia progression.