If your child is short-sighted, standard glasses will correct the blur but won’t stop it getting worse. Myopia tends to progress through childhood as the eye grows longer, and a higher prescription in adult life brings a greater risk of conditions such as retinal detachment and glaucoma.
MiSight 1 day lenses and Ortho-K are the two contact lens options we fit most often to slow that progression. Both work well, but they suit different children and different routines.
What Are MiSight Contact Lenses?
MiSight 1 day is a soft, daily disposable contact lens made by CooperVision and designed specifically for myopia control in children. Your child puts in a fresh pair each morning and throws them away at bedtime. The centre of the lens corrects distance vision, while rings of different focusing power around it send a signal that slows the growth of the eye.
In CooperVision’s three-year clinical study, children wearing MiSight saw their myopia progress 59% more slowly on average than those wearing standard single vision lenses.
How Does Ortho-K Work?
Ortho-K works the other way round. We use EyeDream lenses, which your child wears while asleep. These rigid, made-to-measure lenses gently reshape the front surface of the eye overnight. In the morning the lenses come out, and your child sees clearly all day with no glasses or contacts. The reshaped cornea also changes how light focuses at the edge of the retina, which helps slow myopia. We have offered Ortho-K at our practice in The Glades since 2016.
MiSight vs Ortho-K at a Glance
MiSight 1 Day |
Ortho-K (EyeDream) |
|
| When it is worn | During the day | Overnight |
| Lens type | Soft, daily disposable | Rigid, made to measure |
| Daytime vision | Corrected by the lens being worn | Clear with no lens in |
| Cleaning routine | None, a new pair each day | Nightly cleaning and storage |
| Often suits | Younger children new to lenses | Swimmers and sporty children |
Which Option Suits Your Child?
There is no single right answer. MiSight is often the easier starting point for younger children, because soft daily lenses feel comfortable quickly and there is nothing to clean. Ortho-K tends to appeal to families whose children swim, play contact sports or would rather not handle lenses at school. It does need a steady bedtime routine and good hygiene, so we talk this through with parents first.
Before recommending either, we measure the length of your child’s eye with our axial biometer and map the cornea using topography. These readings show how quickly the myopia is progressing and whether the eye shape suits Ortho-K. We repeat them at every check-up to show whether treatment is working.
Book a Myopia Consultation in Bromley
Our optometrists have been managing children’s myopia for more than ten years, and we will give you an honest view of which lens is the better fit for your child. Call us on 020 8466 8333 or book online to arrange a myopia management appointment at The Bromley Eye Centre.
