Effect of peripheral defocus on axial growth and modulation of refractive error in children with anisohyperopia

Abstract

Purpose: To establish whether axial growth and refractive error can be modulated in anisohyperopic children by imposing relative peripheral hyperopic defocus (RPHD) using multifocal soft contact lenses. Methods: This study is a prospective, controlled paired‐eye study with anisohyperopic children. Axial growth and refractive error were observed without intervention for the first 6 months of the 3‐year trial with participants wearing single vision spectacles. Then, participants wore a centre‐near, multifocal, soft contact lens (+2.00 D add) in their more hyperopic eye for 2 years, with a single vision contact lens worn in the fellow eye if required. The ‘centre‐near’ portion of the contact lens in the more hyperopic eye corrected distance refractive error while the ‘distance’ portion imposed hyperopic defocus in the peripheral retina. Participants reverted to single vision spectacles for the final 6 months. Results: Eleven participants, mean age of 10.56 years (SD 1.43; range 8.25–13.42), completed the trial. No increase in axial length (AL) was found during the first 6 months in either eye (p > 0.99). Axial growth across the 2‐year intervention period was 0.11 mm (SEM 0.03; p = 0.06) in the test eye versus 0.15 mm (SEM 0.03; p = 0.003) in the control eye. AL was invariant during the final 6 months in both eyes (p > 0.99). Refractive error was stable during the first 6 months in both eyes (p = 0.71). Refractive error change across the 2‐year intervention period was −0.23 D (SEM 0.14; p = 0.32) in the test eye versus −0.30 D (SEM 0.14; p = 0.61) in the control eye. Neither eye demonstrated a change in refractive error during the final 6 months (p > 0.99). Conclusions: Imposing RPHD using the centre‐near, multifocal, contact lens specified here did not accelerate axial growth nor reduce refractive error in anisohyperopic children.