Nightly eye drop could help keep kids out of glasses

BOSTON – A recent study discovered that a nightly eye drop may keep kids out of glasses.

Atropine eye drops are often used to dilate the pupils before an eye exam but when given at a low concentration, the drug could prevent nearsightedness in kids, in other words, problems with distance vision.  

Researchers in Hong Kong looked at 474 kids ages 4 to 9 without vision problems and found that those who used atropine eye drops were less likely to develop nearsightedness after two years.  

Now researchers want to replicate the study on a larger scale and figure out whether the treatment simply delays vision loss or prevents it altogether.

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