Going by the findings of a new study published in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, a pair of bifocal glasses can bring about a notable improvement in improving the problem of nearsightedness, or myopia, in children.

For the study, lead researcher Desmond Cheng – formerly of the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, and now of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong – and colleagues – conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial involving 135 Chinese Canadian children, who had progressing myopia.

The study-participants, aged 10.3 years on an average, were administered one of the three treatments - 41 were made to wear single-vision lenses; 48 were given bifocals; and 46 were given prismatic bifocals that help the eyes work together.

The researchers found that while children wearing bifocals reported a slow down in the progression of myopia, those wearing prismatic bifocals reported the slowest decline in vision among the three groups.

Commenting on the findings, the study authors said: “In our opinion, the treatment effect of bifocal and prismatic bifocal lenses of 38 percent and 55 percent, respectively, in this study, though greater than those of others, is still modest.”

They further added that “whether or not the effect tapers off will decide clinical significance. If the treatment effects continued over time, then the treatment could have a significant role in preventing the development of very high pathologic myopia.”