Eye growth pattern of myopic children wearing spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets compared with non-myopic children

Introduction: To evaluate eye growth of children wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL), slightly aspherical lenslets (SAL) and single-vision lenses (SVL) compared to eye growth patterns in non-myopes in Wenzhou, China. Methods: The randomised trial had 170 myopic children (aged 8-13 years) randomly assigned to the HAL, SAL or SVL group. Normal eye growth was examined using 700 non-myopic schoolchildren (aged 7-9 years) in the Wenzhou Medical University-Essilor Progression and Onset of Myopia (WEPrOM) cohort study using logistic function models. Slow, normal and fast eye growth was defined as range of values <25th, 25th-75th and >75th percentiles, respectively. Results: The predicted upper limits of slow eye growth (25th percentile) among non-myopes aged 7-10 years and 11-13 years were 0.20- 0.13 and 0.08- 0.01 mm (after 2-year period; 0.37-0.33 and 0.29- 0.14 mm), respectively, while the upper limits of normal eye growth (75th percentile) were 0.32-0.31 and 0.28-0.10 mm (after 2-year period; 0.58- 0.55 and 0.50- 0.24 mm), respectively. The 2-year trial had 157 children, 96 of whom wore their lenses full time (everyday >= 12 h/day). The mean 2-year axial length change for HAL, SAL and SVL was 0.34, 0.51 and 0.69 mm (0.28, 0.46 and 0.69 mm in full-time wear), respectively. Slow eye growth was found in 35%, 17% and 2% (44%, 29% and 3% in full-time wear); normal eye growth in 35%, 26% and 12% (44%, 32% and 9% in full-time wear) and fast eye growth in 30%, 57% and 86% (12%, 39% and 88% in full-time wear), respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The eye growth pattern in approximately 90% wearing HAL full time (compared with about 10% wearing SVL full time) was similar or slower than that of non-myopic children both after 1-and 2-year periods.