Why Your Child’s Prescription Keeps Changing: Understanding Myopia Progression
Dr. Tina Goodhew
April 20, 2026
Every year, the story is the same. You bring your child in for their eye exam, and once again — a stronger prescription. The optometrist says they’ve progressed again. Maybe you’ve started to wonder: is this normal? Will it ever stop? And is there anything you can actually do about it? If this sounds familiar, you’re far from alone. Childhood myopia — or nearsightedness — is one of the most rapidly growing health concerns affecting children worldwide, and a changing prescription year over year is one of its most common warning signs.Here’s the good news: understanding why this happens is the first step toward doing something about it.
What Is Myopia Progression and Why Does It Happen?
Myopia happens when the eye grows slightly too long. Instead of light focusing neatly on the retina at the back of the eye, it falls just in front of it — making distant objects appear blurry while close-up vision stays clear.
In children, this isn’t a static condition. The eye is still growing, and in myopic children, it often grows faster than it should. Each millimetre of extra length shifts the focal point further off-target, which is why the prescription gets stronger. This ongoing process is called myopia progression, and it tends to be most rapid between the ages of 6 and 14.
Several factors can accelerate this progression:
Genetics
Having one myopic parent roughly doubles a child’s risk. Two myopic parents makes it four to six times more likely.
Near work
Prolonged reading, homework, or screen time keeps the eyes locked in a close-focus position that may accelerate elongation
Limited outdoor time
Children who spend less time outdoors tend to progress faster.
In short, myopia progression is a biological process tied to how your child’s eye grows. And while you can’t stop growth altogether, you can influence how quickly it happens.
