A UK randomized trial published in The BMJ confirms that nightly low-dose atropine (0.01%) eye drops modestly but meaningfully slow myopia progression in children aged 6–12. Over two years, treated kids showed 0.38 D less refractive progression and 0.14 mm less axial eye growth versus placebo — with no increase in adverse events. The EU approved the treatment in June 2025, though the UK's NHS has yet to adopt it.
Childhood myopia is on the rise globally, and a new randomized placebo-controlled trial published in The BMJ offers fresh evidence that low-dose atropine eye drops can help slow it down. Researchers from Queen's University Belfast enrolled 289 children aged 6–12 across five NHS centers and followed them for two years. Those receiving nightly 0.01% atropine drops showed significantly less myopia progression and axial eye growth compared to placebo — all while wearing standard corrective spectacles.
The treatment effect was consistent across age, sex, and baseline visual acuity subgroups. Importantly, the safety profile was reassuring: adverse events like ocular itching and blurred vision occurred at similar rates in both groups, with only a modest increase in pupil diameter in the atropine group.
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Why it matters: With myopia prevalence climbing — affecting ~15% of German children by end of elementary school — effective, safe interventions are urgently needed. This trial strengthens the case for NHS adoption and adds to the growing toolkit for managing childhood myopia before it progresses to vision-threatening levels.
