Kids with Myopia in Canada: How It Can Be Managed

Understanding Myopia in Canadian Children

Myopia, commonly known as near-sightedness, is becoming more common here in Canada. Myopia causes blurred distance vision, such as when looking across a classroom or playground, and requires spectacles or contact lenses to provide clear vision.

Over the past two decades, the prevalence of myopia in North America has increased by 50%, affecting about 42% of the population. In Canada specifically, nearly 30% of children aged 11 to 13 years are myopic, while 6% of children aged 6 to 8 years also have the condition.¹ This growing concern makes early detection and proactive management more important than ever.

Why Myopia Management is Important

Myopia isn’t just about needing glasses—it can lead to unstable vision between eye exams, with frequent changes in vision, and serious eye health issues later in life. High levels of myopia (greater than -5.00 D) increase the risk of complications such as retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, and glaucoma.² These can occur in early or later adulthood. Vision loss in Canada costs an estimated $15.8 billion annually, with refractive errors making up a significant portion of these expenses.³ Investing in proper eye care at an early age, can benefit both the individual and the overall healthcare system.

Read more about myopia control in the article What is myopia control and why it’s important featured on MyKidsVision.org.

Eye Care Professions in Canada

Managing myopia effectively requires professional eye care. In Canada, three main types of eye care professionals can help:

Optometrists: Primary eye care providers who conduct comprehensive eye exams, diagnose and treat eye conditions, and prescribe corrective spectacles, contact lenses and medications for certain eye diseases.
Ophthalmologists: Medical doctors specializing in eye surgery and treating advanced eye diseases.
Opticians: Trained in designing, fitting, and dispensing corrective eyewear such as glasses and contact lenses.

The Role of Optometrists in Myopia Management

Optometrists play a crucial role in diagnosing, monitoring and managing myopia in Canadian children. In addition to prescribing standard glasses and contact lenses, they offer myopia control strategies which include the following.

Specialized glasses lenses: New technologies which look like normal spectacle lenses include tiny ‘lenslets’ or ‘diffusers’ to send special light signals to the eye to slow down eye growth, while also correcting the blurred distance vision from myopia
Specialized contact lenses: Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses and myopia control soft contact lenses also create dual-focus light signals to correct vision and slow down eye growth
Prescription eye drops: Low-dose atropine drops have been shown to slow myopia progression.

Education and lifestyle guidance: Advice on visual habits, outdoor activities, and screen time management.

Lifestyle and Visual Habits Advice

Parents can help manage myopia progression by encouraging healthy visual habits and creating a balanced daily routine for their children. Here’s how:

Encouraging Outdoor Play

Spending at least two hours outside every day can make a big difference.⁴ Natural light plays a key role in slowing the development of myopia.
Consider planning outdoor activities such as biking, playing sports, or simply going for a walk as a family.
Sun safety is essential—ensure kids wear sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen to protect their eyes and skin while enjoying time outside.
Physical activity is beneficial for overall health, so aim for at least one hour of moderate exercise daily, preferably outdoors.⁵

You can read more about close work habits and myopia in the article All about outdoor time on MyKidsVision.org

Managing Screen Time and Close-up Work

As digital devices are a big part of everyday life, research tells us that setting boundaries can help protect children’s eyes.

Limit screen time based on age. Experts suggest no screens for children under 2, no more than 1 hour daily for ages 2 to 4, and a maximum of 2 hours of recreational (non school-work) screen time for kids 5 to 17.⁵
Encourage frequent breaks. Kids should look away from screens or books every 20 minutes to rest their eyes and focussing system.

Avoid screens before bedtime to support healthy sleep habits and reduce eye strain.

Creating Healthy Reading and Study Habits

Teach kids to hold books and screens at a comfortable distance, about the length from their elbow to their hand, and not too close.
Provide a well-lit space for reading and homework, avoiding dim lighting or glare from screens or windows.
Encourage children to switch between near and far focus regularly to reduce strain on their eyes.

You can read more about close work habits and myopia in the article All about screen time and close work on MyKidsVision.org

Optometry in Canada

Despite the importance of early eye exams, fewer than 14% of Canadian children under six have had an eye exam by an eye care professional.⁶ With more than one in six children between ages 6 and 13 being myopic, increasing awareness and access to Optometry services is essential.

Parents should ensure their children have regular eye exams, ideally starting at six months of age, again at age three, and annually thereafter.⁷ Some provincial health plans cover eye exams for children, making them more accessible for families.

What to do next

With myopia on the rise in Canada, taking proactive steps to manage children’s eye health is more important than ever. Encouraging outdoor activities, regulating screen time, and ensuring your child has regular eye examinations with an Optometrist can help slow myopia progression and protect long-term vision. Parents play a key role in fostering healthy vision habits, and Optometrists are there to support you every step of the way.

References

Yang M, Luensmann D, Fonn D, Woods J, Jones D, Gordon K, Jones L. Myopia prevalence in Canadian school children: a pilot study. Eye (Lond). 2018 Jun;32(6):1042-1047.
Bullimore MA, Ritchey ER, Shah S, Leveziel N, Bourne RRA, Flitcroft DI. The Risks and Benefits of Myopia Control. Ophthalmology. 2021 Nov;128(11):1561-1579.
Cruess AF, Gordon KD, Bellan L, Mitchell S, Pezzullo ML. The cost of vision loss in Canada. 2. Results. Can J Ophthalmol. 2011;46:315–8.
Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, Zang J, Zou H, Zhu J, Lv M, He X, Xu X. Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Acta Ophthalmol. 2017 Sep;95(6):551-566
World Health Organization. Every move counts: WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour [infographic]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/physical-activity
Christian LW, Opoku-Yamoah V, Rose K, Jones DA, McCulloch D, Irving EL, Leat SJ. Comparing paediatric optometric vision care in Canada over a 14-year period. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2024 May;44(3):491-500.
Canadian Association of Optometrists. Comprehensive eye examinations [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Association of Optometrists; 2022 Mar. Available from: https://opto.ca/sites/default/files/resources/documents/cao_position_statement_comprehensive_eye_exams_final_feb_28_2017.pdf