Abstract :
Background: Myopia, a prevalent refractive disorder characterized by progressive axial elongation, poses a significant global health concern due to its increasing prevalence and risk of complications like myopic maculopathy, retinal detachment, and blindness. Low-dose atropine (0.01%) has emerged as an effective and safe pharmacological intervention to slow myopia progression in children. This study evaluates its efficacy and safety in controlling refractive error, axial elongation, and central macular thickness.Materials and Methods: A prospective, descriptive study was conducted from May 2022 to December 2023. Sixty-six children aged 6-15 years with progressive myopia were included. Exclusion criteria comprised systemic illnesses, developmental delays, ocular conditions (e.g., amblyopia, strabismus, cataracts), allergies to atropine, prior ocular surgeries or trauma, and systemic health issues like cardiac or respiratory conditions. Baseline and follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 18 months included visual acuity, refractive error, axial length, keratometry, and central macular thickness. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21, with a significance level of p0.05), but keratometry showed minor significant changes (p
Keyword :
Myopia, Low-dose atropine, Refractive error, Axial elongation, Myopia control, Children.